Trump Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is being slammed by Trump allies and insiders, with a new report including quotes that insult him and claim he should not be leading high-stakes negotiations.
Concretely, a New York Post piece features an official calling him a "nice guy, but a bumbling f***ing idiot." The report cites recent episodes to back the claims of his critics, including a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he greeted him warmly. It added that he also leaned on Kremlin translators on occasions, a break with diplomatic procedure.
Officials also noted that Witkoff was not seemingly joined by advisors and experts typically present in such occasions. Ukrainian officials say Witkoff has become a conduit for Russian narratives, undermining U.S. credibility and complicating peace efforts.
The report also notes the lack of progress in the other conflict dominating global headlines: the Israel-Hamas war. After the end of two-month ceasefire announced the day before Trump took office, there has been no progress and the end of the war is not in sight.
Witkoff publicly admitted to misreading the situation after a new proposal collapse, saying, "Maybe that's just me getting duped." Security experts who spoke to the outlet have questioned his assumption that actors like Hamas or Iran are primarily motivated by pragmatic incentives rather than ideology.
Looking at the Iran nuclear negotiations, Witkoff has floated proposals similar to the 2015 Obama-era nuclear agreement, which Trump ended in his first term. After suggesting a willingness to allow limited uranium enrichment under certain conditions, Witkoff quickly reversed course, insisting that Iran must dismantle its enrichment capabilities entirely. Critics, including former National Security Advisor and current Trump critic John Bolton, dismissed the talks as futile, arguing that Iran is stalling to avoid Israeli military action.
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