US President Donald Trump was discussing antifa at a White House roundtable with conservative influencers on Wednesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio slipped him an urgent note about progress in Middle East peace talks. According to reporters at the event, Rubio, standing at the back of the Blue Room, told the president he had important news that could wait until after the media left. He then handed Trump a folded note on White House stationery. Photographs later revealed the handwritten message: “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce the deal first.” ‘Very close to a deal’ Moments later, Trump interrupted the session to tell the audience, “I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly.” WATCH: Rubio slips Trump folded note during White House antifa roundtable, here’s what was in itVideo Credits: Reuters pic.twitter.com/VrlVPjjvxO— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) October 9, 2025 The event had already been underway for more than an hour when Rubio first approached. Witnesses said he whispered briefly to the president before passing him the note, while photographers captured the exchange. The sense of urgency came as Trump’s top Middle East adviser, Steve Witkoff, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and other senior officials joined the third day of peace talks between Israel and Hamas at an Egyptian resort. The discussions were part of US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza. Trump hints at travel plans Earlier in the event, Trump had told journalists he planned to travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week,” possibly visiting Egypt and even the Gaza border, reported Associated Press (AP) as negotiators worked on what he described as a potentially historic deal. Even after receiving Rubio’s message, Trump continued fielding questions for several minutes, joking that Rubio “could probably do an even better job than me, but who knows”. He added, as per AP, “We don’t want to take any chances. So we’re going to go and do that.” He suggested Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stay behind to take questions, but the event eventually wrapped up without them. “We’re gonna get peace in the Middle East,” Trump said as he left. “That’s what we want to do.” Peace deal announced two hours later Just over two hours after Rubio passed him the note, Trump announced the news himself. He posted on Truth Social: “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.” He added that all hostages would be released “very soon”, and Israeli troops would withdraw “to an agreed upon line”. “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America,” Trump wrote, thanking mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey “who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen.” (With inputs from agencies)
