Blinken Alleges Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Borrowed from Biden-Era Blueprint
Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Monday that President Donald Trump’s successful 20-point peace plan for Gaza builds on groundwork laid by the Biden administration — a charge Trump promptly dismissed as “a joke.”
In a lengthy post on X, Blinken outlined what he called the “clear and comprehensive” post-conflict plan the Biden team had been working on during its final months in office. He suggested that key elements of Trump’s breakthrough agreement echoed proposals developed in coordination with Israel, Arab partners, and the Palestinian Authority.
“It’s good that President Trump adopted and built on the plan the Biden administration developed after months of discussion,” Blinken wrote. He praised Arab states and Turkey for saying “enough” to Hamas, and noted that Iran’s regional proxies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, declined to come to Hamas’ defense during the final stages of the war.
Blinken also referenced a brief ceasefire his team helped broker back in January 2025, which led to the release of 135 hostages but ultimately collapsed. He questioned whether Trump’s current peace push could yield lasting results, pointing to the challenges ahead: establishing an international stabilization force, disarming Hamas, rooting out insurgents, and managing a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Trump Fires Back: ‘This Should Have Never Happened’
When asked about Blinken’s remarks aboard Air Force One, Trump was blunt: “Everybody knows it’s a joke.”
“Look, they did such a bad job. This should have never happened,” Trump said, referring to both the Gaza war and the broader instability that exploded under Biden’s foreign policy. “If just a decent president — not a great president like me — if a decent president were in, you wouldn’t have had the Russia-Ukraine [war]. This was bad policy by Biden and Obama.”
The former president is currently touring the Middle East as part of what he calls the “second phase” of his ceasefire plan. On Monday, he landed in Egypt for high-level talks with over 20 world leaders, aiming to coordinate humanitarian aid and further enforcement of the new peace framework.
“This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, striving, hoping and praying for,” Trump said. “With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions have finally been answered. Together, we have achieved the impossible.”
Postwar Vision and Regional Stability
While Blinken’s post praised some of Trump’s stated goals — such as no return to occupation, no forced population transfers, and a path to a demilitarized Gaza — the former diplomat still stressed that implementation will be an uphill battle.
He credited Trump for reaffirming what he called “key principles”: no annexation of Gaza, no safe haven for terror, and a credible pathway to Palestinian self-governance. Still, Blinken cautioned against premature celebration, noting that full disarmament of Hamas and establishment of a governing framework will require serious international coordination.
Trump’s peace plan, unveiled September 29, has garnered wide praise from European and Arab partners, and it ultimately won the backing of both Israel and Hamas after weeks of negotiations. The deal mandates Hamas release 20 living hostages, with the first wave expected to be handed over just before Trump’s arrival in Israel.
In addition to halting active combat, the deal includes a massive humanitarian aid component and calls for long-term reconstruction plans for Gaza, while preserving Israel’s right to eliminate remaining Hamas tunnels post-ceasefire.
As Trump continues to roll out the deal’s next steps, the political battle over who deserves the credit is heating up — with Trump firmly rejecting any attempt to tie his foreign policy victory to the failed strategies of his predecessor.