US President Donald Trump said his administration is devoted to the Muslim community and is working hard to bring lasting peace to the Middle East. Trump said this in a speech while hosting the White House Iftar dinner on Thursday, during which he also thanked the “hundreds of thousands of Muslim-Americans” who supported him during the 2024 presidential election.
Trump’s Ramadan Message in the White House
In the course of the event, Trump offered his greetings to the Muslim community, stating, “…As we are in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, let me begin by saying to my Muslim friends — Ramadan Mubarak.”
Muslim leaders, diplomats, and high-ranking government officials attended the event.
Marking Muslim-American Support
“The Muslim community was there for us in November — and while I’m president, I’m going to be there for you,” Trump said, reaffirming his support for Muslim-Americans.
Trump reiterated that his administration is still pursuing “relentless diplomacy” to construct peace in the Middle East. He also gave credit to his former administration for negotiating the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and a number of Arab states.
“We Are Committed to Peace in the Middle East”
Trump lambasted his successor, President Joe Biden, for failing to build on the Abraham Accords, stating, “Now, we’re going to start filling them out, as you know, Biden did nothing to fill them out. We had the four great countries and nothing happened, despite the importance of the Abraham accords. But I have a feeling it’s going to fill out very quickly. It’s already. People are talking already about it. They should have had a long, long ago. It should have been done.”
“All we want is peace,” he added, referring to the existing tensions in the area.
The Iftar dinner was held during the existing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The tenuous ceasefire, negotiated by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt, recently fell apart as Israel persists with operations in Gaza, calling on Hamas to free hostages who were taken during the October 7, 2023, attack.
Trump on the Significance of Ramadan
Emphasizing the religious importance of Ramadan, Trump stated, “Every day during the sacred month, the Muslims fast from dawn to dusk deepening their focus on prayer and devotion to God. Then Muslims all over the world join families and friends each night and give thanks to the almighty, breaking their fast with Iftar dinner. We are all looking for peace for the entire world.”
Trump initially hosted an Iftar dinner in 2018 to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, upholding a long White House tradition.
