President Joe Biden delivered his final address from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, January 15, 2025. The speech was meant to be a victory lap. Instead, it highlighted a growing dispute over who deserves credit for the historic Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
The setting was carefully choreographed. Indeed, American flags flanked the Resolute desk. The president’s tone was triumphant.
The administration had hoped this would be a crowning achievement for Biden’s foreign policy legacy.
Within hours, however, multiple sources confirmed what many had suspected: The breakthrough deal came through direct intervention from President-elect Donald Trump’s team, not the Biden administration’s year-long efforts.
The Competing Claims
“My fellow Americans, I’m speaking to you tonight from the Oval Office. Before I begin, let me speak to important news from earlier today,” Biden said. “After eight months of nonstop negotiation, my administration – by my administration – a cease-fire and hostage deal has been reached.”
When pressed by reporters about who deserves historical credit for the deal, Biden dismissed the question with “Is that a joke?” before walking away. The response spoke volumes about an administration more concerned with legacy-building than truth-telling.
A Trump transition official didn’t mince words.
“Joe Biden is going out sad. Lying to the nation trying to take credit for a deal that all parties credit President Trump for making happen,” the official stated. “Biden has had well over a year to secure the release of these hostages and peace. He failed. Trump succeeded.”
The evidence couldn’t be clearer. At 7:45 PM EST on January 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specifically thanked Trump “for his assistance in advancing the release of the hostages” in an official statement.
While Netanyahu later extended courtesy thanks to Biden as well, diplomatic sources confirm Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff played the decisive role. Reuters independently verified that Witkoff spent the final 96 hours in Doha helping secure the agreement—achieving more in four days than Biden’s team managed in eight months.
The Diplomatic Reality
The breakthrough came after months of stalled negotiations under Biden’s team. Trump had repeatedly warned there would be “hell to pay” if a deal wasn’t reached before his January 20 inauguration.
A senior Biden administration official, speaking on background, was forced to acknowledge Witkoff’s role in delivering the agreement while working alongside Biden’s envoy Brett McGurk.
Eight months of Biden’s “diplomatic efforts” versus four days of actual results under Trump’s team. The numbers tell the story.
The ceasefire agreement marks a crucial turning point for the region. According to the latest Reuters figures, over 46,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict according to Gaza’s health ministry. Meanwhile Israel, reported 1,200 casualties and exactly 247 hostages taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack.
For American voters, the episode provides a clear comparison between leadership styles. While one administration spent months in circular discussions, the incoming team delivered results within days of engagement.
As Biden exits the White House, this final attempt to claim unearned credit serves as a fitting bookend to an administration that consistently prioritized perception over performance. As Americans, we’ve seen this movie before: while career politicians focus on optics, real leaders focus on results.
The truth about who brokered peace will be recorded in history’s ledger, not in farewell speeches from the Oval Office. Sorry, Joe, but the American people see right through you. Way to leave the White House on a sour note!
Key Takeaways:
- Trump’s team secured a peace deal in 96 hours after Biden’s year-long failure.
- Netanyahu publicly credited Trump first, Biden second—speaking volumes about real leadership.
- Biden’s attempt to claim sole credit exposes a troubling pattern of misrepresenting achievements.
- Peace deal success demonstrates the difference between talk and action in American leadership.
