U.S. President Donald Trump shook hands with former hostages and family members of current hostages held in Gaza on Monday at his inaugural rally in Washington’s Capital One Arena.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, introduced the group to loud and sustained cheers of “bring them home” from the crowd of about 20,000 supporters of the newly-sworn-in president.
“They’re here because they’re part of an effort to retrieve their bodies, so they can be buried in a proper way,” Witkoff said. “Several have children who are still in captivity.”
Witkoff added that family members of one of the American hostages, who is scheduled to be released in two weeks as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, will meet with Trump later on Monday evening.
Standing in front of the relatives of hostages, Trump said, “We have to bring them home.” He then pivoted immediately to the people convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“Tonight I’m going to be signing, on the J6 hostages, pardons to get them out,” Trump said. “As soon as I leave, I’m going to the Oval Office, and we’ll be signing pardons for a lot of people.”
Witkoff outlined the four-fold approach that the Trump administration will take in the Middle East.
“One, respect for sovereignty,” Witkoff said. “Every nation deserves the right to determine its own destiny free from the interference of external powers.”
“Two, economic prosperity as a bridge to stability,” he said. “Through economic partnerships and investment, we can build a foundation for cooperation that transcends historical grievances.”
“Three, courageous diplomacy. Real progress requires difficult conversations and bold decisions, and it is through these that trust is built and maintained,” he added. “Four reciprocity and accountability. The United States requires reciprocal actions from our partners. We are done carrying the financial burden for nations that are unwilling to fund their own progress.”
During his election campaign, Trump suggested that aid to Ukraine, Israel and other countries could be restructured as loans.
