Trump Vows ‘All Hell Will Break Out’ If Hamas Hostages Not Released Before He Takes Office: ‘Do I Have To Define It For You?’
In a marathon press conference on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump doubled down on his promise that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East if Hamas-held hostages are not released, warning them they now have a deadline of two weeks.
During a press conference where he discussed everything from pardoning Jan. 6 Capitol rioters to possible using the military to take Greenland, Trump introduced Steve Witkoff, his envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff, he said, has been in negotiations to see the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Trump would not elaborate on what this “hell” will look like, but said a deal needs to be done before he is back in office on Jan. 20.
“You know what that means, don’t you? Do I have to define it for you? Look, all hell will break out. If those hostages aren’t back — I don’t want to hurt your negotiation — if they’re not back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” he said.
There are believed to still be multiple American hostages alive in Hamas’ custody, while some have died. The terror group kidnapped hundreds of people after attacking Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,000 in the process.
Trump said on Tuesday:
It will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don’t have to say anymore, but that’s what it is. And they should have given them back a long time ago, they should have never taken them, there should have never been the attack on Oct. 7. People forget that, but there was, and many people are killed, they’re no longer hostages. I have people from Israel and others calling, begging me to get — you know, we had also people there from the United States, just so you know, they’re holding some so-called hostages from the US — but I’ve had mothers come to me and fathers crying, can I get the body of their son back, can I the body of their daughter back.
Trump mentioned a couple more times he does not want to “hurt” Witkoff’s negotiations, but also promised “hell” would follow a deal not being made. He called Witkoff a “great negotiator,” which he called as “rare” as a “great surgeon.”
“Steve’s got a job to do. He’s a great guy, great negotiator, and a great person. They respect him over there already. It’s what we needed over there. We have people who know everything about the Middle East, but they can’t speak properly. They don’t know. He’s a great negotiator. That’s what I needed,” he said.
Hamas is now on a deadline, Trump said as he thanked Witkoff.
“I don’t want to hurt the negotiation, but if a deal isn’t done before I take office, which is now going to be two weeks, all hell will break out in the Middle East,” he said.
Watch above via Fox News.
