US President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters that he only got along with “tough” world leaders, hours after he signed what he described as a comprehensive peace deal in Gaza, with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey as guarantors.
In an audio clip from the White House, Trump can be heard saying, “I get along with the tough ones. I don’t get along with the weak ones…,” purportedly following up on his earlier comments in Egypt.
“I don’t know what that is, but [Turkish President] Erdogan has been great with me. You know when NATO has a problem with Erdogan, which they often do, they call me to talk to him, and I’ve never failed with working it out with him immediately,” the US President is further heard saying.
Trump’s comments, reportedly given to the press from Air Force One on October 13, come after the US President spoke at length about his “difficult” friend Erdogan at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Speaking after signing the agreement, Trump had said, “I don’t know what it is, I like the tough people better than I like the soft, easy ones,” in reference to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adding that the Turkish President was a “tough cookie” in addition to being his “friend”.
(This is a developing story. Check back for updates).
