Camilla Jessen
“They’re going to need me”
A handwritten note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to President Donald Trump during a live White House event hinted at an imminent Gaza ceasefire deal — and set off a flurry of speculation.
A note caught on camera
A mysterious handwritten note passed to President Donald Trump by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House roundtable on Wednesday has drawn attention after being photographed by the Associated Press.
The note, captured by photographer Evan Vucci, appeared to reference ongoing peace talks in the Middle East.
What it said
“Very close. You need to approve a post on Truth Social soon so you can be the first to announce the agreement,” it read.
According to The Guardian and Digi24, the message suggested that Trump would soon announce a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Trump’s public reaction
Moments later, Trump interrupted the event to tell reporters:
“I just got a note from the Secretary of State saying we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East and they’re going to need me pretty soon.”
He added that he would “take a few more questions” before leaving to handle what he described as “some problems in the Middle East.”
What the note referred to
The message reportedly referred to the third day of peace negotiations between Israeli and Hamas representatives, taking place in Egypt with the involvement of Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, U.S. adviser Steve Witkoff, and other senior officials.
The talks were said to be focused on the release of hostages and an Israeli troop withdrawal as part of the first stage of a broader ceasefire plan.
Trump announces Gaza ceasefire
Not long after the note was passed, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to make a surprise announcement:
“I am very proud to announce that the first phase of the Gaza deal has been reached. This means that ALL hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its troops to an agreed line, as a first step towards a strong, lasting, and everlasting peace.”
The post appeared within minutes of the photographed note becoming public.
The moment caught the room’s attention
Trump had been hosting a roundtable discussion with conservative influencers in the Blue Room when Rubio interrupted from the back of the room.
Initially, Rubio told Trump that he had “news” to share but would wait until after the press had left. Moments later, he approached the president directly, whispered briefly, and handed over the folded note.
Trump glanced at the message and smiled before announcing, “They’re going to need me pretty soon.”
A tense moment for Rubio
As Trump continued fielding questions from attendees, Rubio appeared visibly tense, checking his phone and glancing toward aides.
Roughly ten minutes later, Trump finally said:
“I have to leave now to try to solve some problems in the Middle East — although I’m very well represented by our Secretary of State. He could probably do an even better job than I could, but who knows. We don’t want to take any chances.”
Despite that, he continued answering questions before eventually wrapping up the event.
Trump hints at upcoming trip
Earlier in the day, Trump had told reporters he planned to travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week”, possibly visiting Egypt and even Gaza, depending on the progress of peace negotiations.
“We’re going to get peace in the Middle East. That’s what we want to do.”
What comes next
White House sources have not confirmed whether Trump will personally attend the final stages of the ceasefire talks, though Rubio’s note suggests U.S. negotiators expect a deal announcement within days.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
