President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Florida country club on Monday, where the two men were set to discuss the next steps in a possible peace deal. But one key comment from Trump prompted CNN to jump in with a fact-check of his lie.
According to Trump, no hostages from the Oct. 7 attacks were released under former President Joe Biden.
As CNN's Brianna Keilar explained, "We do need to make an important fact check here, which is ... Trump insisting that no hostages came out during the Biden administration. That is just very easily, verifiably false. There were more than 100 that came out during that 2023 agreement that was brokered to release hostages."
"So, just very important to note, this is not a Ronald Reagan kind of Jimmy Carter situation that Trump is trying to paint here," Keilar added in reference to a U.S. effort under former President Carter to rescue Iranian hostages.
Among the accomplishments of Biden was a ceasefire on November 30, 2023, when Hamas released 105 hostages. Upon leaving office, Biden had secured the release of 135 of the 251 people taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks. There were four other hostages already taken by Hamas.
Biden was negotiating to ensure another ceasefire during his final days in office before Trump returned to the White House and further hostages were released.
"Now it falls on the next administration to help implement this deal. I was pleased to have our team speak as one voice in the final days," Biden said, speaking in South Carolina on Jan. 19, the day before Trump was sworn in.
"Success is going to require persistence and continuing support for our friends in the region and the belief in diplomacy backed by deterrence," Biden said.
Trump has garnered the release of the remaining 119 hostages or their remains. There is one person whose remains have not yet been returned. Trump said that he doesn't want to move forward with phase two of the peace plan until the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old Israeli police office, are returned.
