US President Donald Trump thanked the Muslim American community for their support in the 2024 presidential election as he hosted the first Ramadan iftar dinner of his second term at the White House.
Speaking at the event, Trump acknowledged the "hundreds of thousands" of Muslim Americans who had supported his campaign and assured them of his commitment to reciprocating their backing.
"As we honour the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, let me begin by saying to our Muslim friends, we have many tonight, and I think we have many all over the world based on the results in Michigan, other places, but I just want to say hello to all of the people that supported us so strongly, Ramadan Mubarak," Trump stated.
The President also took the occasion to reaffirm his administration's dedication to peace in the Middle East, referencing the success of the Abraham Accords. These agreements, which had normalised relations between Israel and several Muslim-majority countries during his first term, were highlighted as a key achievement.
"We're keeping our promises to the Muslim community. My administration is engaged in relentless diplomacy to forge lasting peace in the Middle East, building on the historic Abraham Accords, which everybody said would be impossible, and now we're going to start filling them out," Trump declared.
Trump’s remarks extended to his administration’s ongoing diplomatic efforts, emphasising that they were "keeping promises" made to the Muslim community. He referenced his attempts to bring peace and stability to the region, including a commitment to ending the Israel-Gaza conflict, which had resulted in a temporary ceasefire shortly before he assumed office.
These comments came amidst renewed violence in Gaza, with Israel having resumed its offensive earlier that month. Trump has remained steadfast in supporting Israel’s actions, vowing to increase military assistance. He controversially suggested that his administration take control of Gaza to develop the region according to his vision.
While it was unclear how many Muslims attended the iftar, there were seats for just over 60 people in the room. Many of the attendees were non-Muslim political figures, including Trump allies such as Senator Lindsey Graham, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
