Former Obama administration official Ben Rhodes brushed off the deal President Donald Trump brokered between Israel and the radical Islamic terrorist group Hamas as “just a cease-fire” Monday during a MSNBC appearance.

Hamas released the 20 surviving hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on multiple locations in southern Israel that killed over 1,200 people on Monday. Rhodes, the architect of then-President Barack Obama’s deal with Iran over its nuclear weapons program, was asked by MSNBC host Ana Cabrera if he thought Trump could see it through.

“I give Trump credit for essentially finally applying some leverage on the Israeli government, on Bibi Netanyahu in particular, in a way that, you know, frankly, we didn’t even see President Biden do when he was in office,” Rhodes claimed. “And I think simultaneously, Qatar and Turkey were applying a lot of leverage on Hamas. And then that got us into the ceasefire. That’s terrific. It’s great that the Israeli hostages are reunited with their families, that aid is getting to Gaza. I would not go as far as to say that this kind of validates a certain, you know, theory of diplomacy, because frankly, it’s just a ceasefire. The problem has not been solved.”

“It’s not really a peace deal in the sense that we still don’t know who’s going to govern Gaza. We still don’t know if Hamas is going to disarm,” Rhodes continued. “We’re at phase one, quite literally, of what would be a very long road to some kind of lasting peace. So, look, I think a transactional — and, you know, it’s interesting to reflect on that quote you put up, I mean, a transactional style of diplomacy, it can get you that kind of short-term win, right? You know, you take care of a piece of business, but it’s not necessarily designed for the kind of patient follow-through and painstaking work that is necessary to address something as deep as the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.” (Read more from “Former Obama Official Ben Rhodes Can’t Bring Himself To Give Trump Credit For Israel-Hamas Deal” HERE)

President Donald Trump received both a COVID-19 booster and a seasonal flu shot during a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday, marking his second official medical checkup of the year.

In a memo released by the White House, Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean P. Barbabella, stated that the 79-year-old president “remains in exceptional health,” citing strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological performance. According to the document, advanced imaging and lab tests confirmed “stable metabolic, hematologic, and cardiac parameters.”

Trump’s decision to receive a COVID booster is notable, given that his own administration has significantly scaled back vaccine promotion and access. Just this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under pressure from the Trump White House, revised its guidance to recommend COVID vaccinations only for people over 65 or those with specific health risks—and even then, only after consultation with a healthcare provider.

Despite receiving the shot himself, Trump has not personally promoted the COVID vaccine in recent months and has rarely mentioned it in public. His administration, meanwhile, has cast doubt on its safety and necessity. Several high-profile officials have made public remarks about the ineffectiveness of the vaccine and suggest it carries a variety significant risks.

Trump’s own relationship with the COVID vaccine has long been complicated. He was initially vaccinated in private before leaving office in 2021 and has at times taken credit for the rapid development of the original vaccine under his Operation Warp Speed initiative. However, he has also avoided strongly promoting it to his base, many of whom are deeply skeptical of the COVID vaccine due to remarkable evidence.

Friday’s checkup was the second of the year for the president, following a physical exam in April. While the White House described this visit as part of Trump’s “ongoing health maintenance plan,” some observers noted the unusual frequency for a sitting president’s full physical evaluations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed concerns, calling the visit “routine” and a responsible part of Trump’s personal health regimen.

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President Donald Trump is facing backlash from his own political base after the announcement of a Qatari-funded air force training facility to be built at Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho. The project, intended to support training for Qatar’s Emiri Air Force pilots flying U.S.-made F-15 fighter jets, has ignited a firestorm among Trump-aligned influencers and “America First” conservatives.

The plan, unveiled by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, states that Qatar will fully fund the construction of the facility, which will remain under U.S. jurisdiction and control. However, MAGA-aligned critics say it amounts to allowing a foreign military force—one they accuse of sponsoring terrorism—to establish a foothold on American soil.

Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and a key architect of Trump’s populist message in 2016, told Newsweek that “there should never be a military base of a foreign power on the sacred soil of America.”

Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has claimed significant influence in Trump World and boasts ties to current administration officials, went even further. “Never thought I’d see Republicans give terror-financing Muslims from Qatar a MILITARY BASE on US soil so they can murder Americans,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter), mischaracterizing the facility’s purpose.

Loomer also resurfaced a 2017 clip of Trump himself accusing Qatar of “funding terrorism at a very high level.” She added, “The Qatari influence on the Trump administration is totally out of control,” expressing concerns that the relationship with the Gulf monarchy compromises American sovereignty and security.

The backlash has also reignited scrutiny of Trump’s and his inner circle’s longstanding financial entanglements with Qatar.

In 2018, reports emerged that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, had received a substantial investment from a Qatari-linked fund to bail out the troubled 666 Fifth Avenue property in New York. The timing raised eyebrows, as it came after Kushner had reportedly pressured Qatar unsuccessfully for funds during the property’s financial crisis—only for Qatari-backed entities to later come to the rescue through a roundabout investment. In 2025, scrutiny of Jared Kushner’s Qatar links escalated sharply. His investment firm, Affinity Partners, saw a substantial capital injection from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and other Gulf sovereign wealth funds, contributing to its growth in assets under management. Meanwhile, Kushner played an important diplomatic role behind the scenes in negotiating Israel‑Hamas ceasefire deals, prompting questions over whether his business relationships with Qatar and Saudi Arabia conflict with his influence in foreign policy.

Further complicating the optics, Trump was reportedly gifted a $400 million luxury airplane from Qatar’s government. The gesture, which was not publicly disclosed in required filings for foreign gifts at the time, has raised questions about whether Trump’s post-presidency dealings with foreign powers violate the spirit—if not the letter—of federal ethics laws.

Even outside of the MAGA base, conservative commentators are questioning the strategic rationale of hosting Qatari pilots on American soil.

Noah Rothman of the National Review wrote: “What’s the strategic rationale for this? Either ours or Qatar’s?” He continued, “I’m sure we don’t need to import any more Qatari covert assets into this country.”

Mike Madrid, a GOP political strategist and critic of Trump, compared the move to the Biden administration’s much-criticized response to the Chinese spy balloon. “Joe Biden was criticized for a Chinese balloon flying over our airspace. [Trump’s team is] giving Qatar an entire f’ing air base,” he posted.

In response to the growing uproar, Hegseth clarified via social media that the facility will not be an independent Qatari base. “It will remain a U.S. military installation under U.S. control,” he stated.

Despite the clarification, critics remain unconvinced, pointing to what they say is a growing pattern of influence by Qatar over U.S. policy.

While the Pentagon notes that similar arrangements exist—with Germany, Singapore, and other allied nations conducting military training in the U.S.—the controversy highlights the unique political sensitivities around the U.S.-Qatar relationship, especially within Trump’s own coalition.

As of Friday, the White House has not responded to multiple media requests for comment, and Trump himself has yet to publicly address the controversy. His silence is notable, especially given how vocally he condemned Qatar during his first year in office—only to embrace the nation later as an “important strategic partner.”

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