President Donald Trump’s latest diplomatic maneuver in the Middle East has cast a spotlight on Qatar, a small Gulf nation whose role as a mediator has grown dramatically in recent years. As Trump flew to the region to celebrate the ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, he singled out Qatar for praise, telling reporters, “Qatar was a tremendous help to getting this done. I hope people can realize that. It was very tough and very dangerous for Qatar. They were very brave.” According to CNN, the Gulf nation’s ability to broker pivotal negotiations—alongside Egypt—has further cemented its stature in the eyes of the U.S. president.
This warm embrace is a far cry from Trump’s early days in office, when he accused Qatar of funding terrorism during a 2017 diplomatic crisis. Back then, Trump sided with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states as they imposed a blockade on Qatar. “We have to stop the funding of terrorism,” he said, comments that reportedly perplexed even his own Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson. But over the years, the relationship has transformed, shaped by personal ties, business interests, and Qatar’s knack for delivering results where others could not.
Qatar’s influence with the Trump administration has been on full display in the latest Gaza ceasefire. The country helped draft a 21-point peace plan that served as the foundation for pivotal discussions among Arab and Muslim nations. According to sources cited by CNN, when high-stakes negotiations took place last week in Egypt, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner met privately with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and a senior Qatari official. This meeting, which the Qataris themselves sought out, proved to be the breakthrough that led to the release of Israeli hostages and the implementation of a ceasefire later that night.
“Plain and simple, that agreement would not have been accomplished without the Qataris,” said one administration official to CNN. “The Qataris were critical in facilitating discussions with Hamas that were crucial in securing a final agreement in Egypt.”
Trump’s gratitude for Qatar has been reflected not just in words but in actions. He received a plane meant for use as Air Force One from Doha and signed an executive order establishing an unprecedented bilateral defense pact with Qatar after an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9, 2025. The strike itself was a point of tension: U.S. officials scrambled to reassure Qatar that they, too, had been left in the dark by the Israelis, even as evidence suggested otherwise. Ultimately, Trump pushed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar by phone from the Oval Office—a gesture that, according to sources, reaffirmed the seriousness of the U.S.-Qatar alliance.
“You saw the picture, Netanyahu reading from a paper. The picture talks more than the pen,” a regional source told CNN, emphasizing the symbolic weight of the apology and the executive order that followed.
This diplomatic success has not gone unnoticed at home, either. A poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research from October 9 to October 13, 2025, found that about 47% of U.S. adults now approve of Trump’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—up from 37% in September. The poll, cited by the Associated Press, suggests that Trump’s apparent success on the world stage has improved his standing on foreign policy, with support rising particularly among Democrats.
Jack Bornstein, a 61-year-old independent from Georgia who typically votes for Democrats, told the Associated Press, “I give him credit for that. That's probably the only thing I can say is positive for him,” referencing the release of Israeli hostages. But Bornstein—and many others—remain unconvinced by Trump’s domestic record, citing concerns about rising grocery prices, health care, and the president’s character.
Indeed, Trump’s diplomatic achievements have not translated into broader approval at home. The same AP-NORC poll found that only about one-third of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, and just 3 in 10 approve of his leadership on health care. Immigration, long a signature issue for Trump, also garners approval from only about 4 in 10. Even among Republicans, support for Trump’s domestic policies is tepid, with many expressing frustration over persistent inflation and government dysfunction.
“It’s kind of cool he’s bringing peace, but I’m like, ‘You kind of need to worry about your American people instead of bringing peace to the world first,’” said Justin Sanders, a 31-year-old Republican voter from Alabama, in an interview with the Associated Press. “We need the inflation to go down. I’m tired of sitting here struggling going day by day trying to figure out if I’m going to eat or not.”
Alison Weaver, a 62-year-old independent from Virginia, was even more blunt: “It’s horrifying,” she said when asked about Trump’s health care performance, calling his second term “a debacle.”
Despite these criticisms, Qatar’s partnership with the U.S. extends well beyond Gaza. Dr. Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the breadth of the country’s diplomatic efforts at a recent Concordia Summit. “We are working right now with the administration on DRC-Rwanda, working with them on Venezuela, working with them on Colombia, working with them on the myriad of issues, some of them I can’t mention right now, all related to peace facilitation,” Al Ansari said, as reported by CNN. He added, “This goes beyond any individual, but working with President Trump, working with this administration very closely, is something that has brought a lot of results. It’s a relationship that is beneficial for the region as a whole and for the world.”
The Trump Organization’s business interests have also deepened ties: earlier this year, plans were announced for a Trump-branded golf resort in Qatar, backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Personal relationships between Trump’s inner circle and Qatari leaders have flourished, with the Qatari Emir maintaining direct contact with Trump even during his years out of office. According to CNN, this familiarity has made for “productive, trustworthy and blunt interactions.”
Yet, not everyone in Trump’s orbit is comfortable with Qatar’s growing influence. Far-right activist Laura Loomer, an influential figure within the administration, has criticized the decision to allow Qatar to build an Air Force training facility in Idaho—a move that caught even the state’s Republican congressional delegation by surprise. According to CNN, Idaho’s GOP leaders only learned of the deal when it was publicly announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
As the ceasefire in Gaza holds—at least for now—Trump’s challenge remains twofold: sustaining peace abroad while addressing the economic and social anxieties of Americans at home. The coming months will test both the durability of the U.S.-Qatar partnership and the president’s ability to bridge the gap between foreign policy triumphs and domestic discontent. With elections looming and public opinion divided, the stakes have rarely been higher for Trump and his administration.
For now, Qatar’s emergence as a diplomatic powerhouse and Trump’s willingness to rely on its mediation mark a remarkable turnaround in U.S. foreign policy—a shift that may shape the Middle East and America’s global standing for years to come.