By Alex Rivers
Opinion Contributor October 14, 2025
In the dusty annals of Washington ego trips, few moments top this: as the ink dries on a historic Israel-Hamas ceasefire – hostages streaming home, Gaza's rubble getting a faint whiff of reconstruction – out stroll former President Joe Biden and ex-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hats in hand, claiming they laid the bricks for Donald Trump's golden tower. It's like watching the guy who sketched a napkin doodle take a bow at the Louvre opening. Noble? Maybe. Petty? You bet. But in a town where credit's currency, this one's got everyone from Tel Aviv to Truth Social scratching their heads: Was it Biden's blueprint or Trump's bulldozer that got us here?
Biden, fresh from a cancer treatment update that's got the nation rooting for him quietly, hit X with a post that's equal parts humble brag and heartfelt nod. "Deeply grateful and relieved" for the war's wind-down, he wrote, spotlighting his team's "relentless" grind to free hostages, rush aid to Palestinian civilians, and broker an endgame. Sure, he tips the cap to Trump for "getting a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line," but then pivots to the big picture: a U.S.-backed path to enduring peace, equal dignity for Israelis and Palestinians. It's the kind of statesmanlike grace you'd expect from a guy who's spent a lifetime in the Senate's smoke-filled rooms – classy, but with just enough "we started it" to irk the MAGA crowd.
Blinken, never one to miss a mic drop, went longer and louder on X, dissecting Trump's shiny 20-point Gaza blueprint like a wonky professor grading a star pupil's paper. "It's good that President Trump adopted and built on the plan the Biden administration developed after months of discussion with Arab partners, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority," he beamed, crediting Arab states and Turkey for finally telling Hamas "enough." He name-drops a short-lived January ceasefire that freed 135 hostages before it crumbled, then muses on the heavy lift ahead: international stabilization forces, Hamas disarmament, Israeli phased withdrawal. Oh, and props to Trump for sticking to Biden-era red lines – no terror haven, no annexation, no occupation, no forced transfers – all paving a "credible pathway to a Palestinian state."
Trump? Aboard Air Force One, en route to Egypt for phase two schmoozing with 20+ world leaders, he swatted it away like a gnat. Fox's Peter Doocy lobbed the softball: "Everybody knows it's a joke," Trump scoffed. "They did such a bad job. This should have never happened." He roped in Ukraine too – "If just a decent president were in, you wouldn’t have had the Russia-Ukraine war" – pinning it all on Biden-Obama "bad policy." Classic Trump: zero Fs given, all glory claimed.
Zoom out, and the real story's in the sand. Trump's plan – hammered in Sharm el-Sheikh, with Qatar, Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabia twisting arms – kicked off phase one Friday: ceasefire at noon local, Israeli pullback to a line holding 53% of Gaza, all 20 living hostages (plus remains) handed over by Monday or Tuesday. Hamas coughs up 1,968 Palestinian prisoners; aid floods in. Phase two? Trickier: full withdrawal, Hamas demilitarized, a "Trump economic development plan" to rebirth Gaza (critics whisper "Trump Riviera"). BBC reports families calling it the end of "two years of hell"; Reuters shows Gazans trekking north through ruins, hope flickering amid the haze. Al Jazeera notes 67,000+ dead, mostly civilians; Wikipedia snarks it's no "genuine peace" sans equal rights. CNN and NPR flag the murk: Hamas sees "permanent" end; Israel eyes contingencies.
And the X chatter? It's a partisan pinata. Fox News' post on the story drew 250 replies, a mix of "Biden's delusion" eye-rolls and sarcastic Nobel jabs. One user: "Democrats - Keep dreaming! Stealing credits are like Smashed and Grabbed!" Another: "Biden helped by getting thrown out of Washington." A rare olive branch: "I'm not opposed to giving Biden some credit... But Trump made it happen." The sarcasm peaks with "Yea Right! 🤡" and "The nerve of these useless fucks." It's raw, divided, very 2025 America – where even peace gets politicized.
Blinken's UN throwback – chatting with Guterres and Thomas-Greenfield – reminds us diplomacy's a relay, not a solo sprint. Biden's admin teed it up post-October 7 mess; Trump swung for the fences. Credit where due? Both. But as Trump thundered in Egypt: "We've heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there. And now we’re there... Together, we have achieved the impossible." Prayers answered, indeed. Now, the devil's in phase two – let's hope the hand-off sticks, egos aside.
Alex Rivers is an independent commentator on global affairs, with bylines in major outlets. He hosts "Riverside Reflections," a weekly podcast unpacking the world’s thorniest knots. Catch him breaking down today’s headlines – this piece ties into his upcoming episode on diplomatic legacies and credit grabs.
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