ABC’s Martha Raddatz on Trump’s Middle East Breakthrough: ‘A Remarkable Achievement’

ROBERTS: “Tell us about the role President Trump played in bringing all of this about.”
RADDATZ: “Well, Robin, there’s no question that if this goes as planned, if we see those remaining hostages freed and Israel begin its withdrawal, it is a remarkable achievement and President Trump most certainly deserves credit for his role. He has done this through diplomacy, pressure, and the sheer force of his personality and persistence. He dispatched diplomats again and again, made threats just in the last few days to Hamas, saying again, if they did not sign the deal, all hell would break loose. And they had the bombing of Iran as an example of that. But perhaps most importantly, he pushed Benjamin Netanyahu in ways his predecessor and others have not, Robin.”
ROBERTS: “And what finally got the two sides to this point? And will it be able to get phase two off the ground?”
RADDATZ: “ Well, you know, Robin, throughout this process, President Trump never wavered in his support for Israel, but when Netanyahu ignored much of what Trump was trying to accomplish by continuing to bomb over the last few months, Trump laid down the hammer with Netanyahu, essentially saying enough is enough. Trump had also told Netanyahu that he was opening indirect negotiations with the Iranians, which put even more pressure on the Israeli prime minister. Obviously, the coming days will prove whether the rest of the plan comes to fruition. But if those hostages are freed, which would leave Hamas without their major bargaining tool, this is a huge moment for Donald Trump. Robin?”
ROBERTS: “It certainly is. All right, Martha. Our thanks to you.”