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Trump’s Gaza ceasefire summit turns into viral spectacle of gaffes and awkward diplomacy

The US president's peace summit in Egypt was less about diplomacy and more about the internet’s favourite cringe moments
US President Donald Trump at the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 13 October 2025 (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/AFP)
By MEE staff
Published date: 14 October 2025 20:59 BST | Last update: 3 weeks 6 days ago

US President Donald Trump struck an upbeat tone on Monday as he joined other world leaders in Egypt to sign the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal

“This took 3,000 years to reach. Can you believe it? And it’s going to last,” Trump declared confidently during the Sharm el-Sheikh summit as he signed the deal before a global audience.

Speaking later at a press conference alongside regional leaders, he hailed the development as historic: “We’ve done what everyone said couldn’t be done, peace in the Middle East, finally. Nobody thought we’d ever get here, but here we are.”

The summit featured unforgettable and awkward moments, many of which quickly went viral on social media, underscoring that international diplomacy on Trump’s stage rarely unfolds as planned.

What followed was a cascade of spontaneous praise, uneasy exchanges, and unscripted moments that left world leaders, diplomats, aides, and the internet both amused and bewildered in equal measure.

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While speaking on stage, Trump suddenly turned to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and remarked, “She’s a beautiful young woman.”

“In the US, if you call a woman ‘beautiful,’ your political career is over - but I’ll risk it,” he quipped, before directing his comments straight at Meloni: “You don’t mind me calling you beautiful, do you? Because you are.”

The cringe and awkward nature of these sentences aside, social media users in Italy criticised Meloni and her government for what they described as inequality in the country.

Another remarkable moment from the summit was when Trump thanked French President Emannuel Macron for his support, looked around unsuccessfully to find him, then said: “I would imagine Emmanuel standing somewhere behind me … where is he? I can’t believe it, you’re taking a low-key approach today.”

Meanwhile, social media was more concerned with the fact that at the opening of the summit, Trump found it difficult to let go of the French president’s hand, which many interpreted as “humiliating”.

One of the more unexpected attendees at the summit was Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who not only took a photo with Trump but also joined the group shot alongside the assembled world leaders.

Social media users did not hide their confusion and bewilderment as to why the Fifa head was even there, while many others criticised football's international governing body's inaction concerning many Palestinian footballers and sportspeople. Hundreds of Palestinian football players and people associated with Gaza's football world were killed in the war on Gaza. 

The quips at the summit were not limited to Trump and his encounters. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took his concern for fellow world leaders to a personal level, advising Meloni to give up smoking.

“You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking,” Erdogan told her - a goal French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed as “impossible”.

“I know, I know,” Meloni replied with a sigh, joking that quitting might make her less friendly. “I don’t want to kill somebody.”

Eager to stay in Trump’s good graces, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer quickly made his way towards the stage when the US president called out, “Where is the United Kingdom?”

Just as Starmer seemed prepared to speak, Trump cut in with, “It’s very nice that you’re here,” before turning back to his own remarks - leaving Starmer to retreat awkwardly from the podium in what felt like the longest walk of the night.

Many saw the interaction between the two leaders as “completely humiliating”, with one social media user saying, “No one really cares what Sir Keir Starmer has to say.

Sharm el-Sheikh also proved to be the ultimate networking hotspot for some world leaders.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was overheard on a live microphone asking Trump for a meeting with his son, Eric, who serves as an executive vice president at the Trump Organisation.

Trump, ever the businessman, readily agreed: “I’ll have Eric call. Should I do that? He’s such a good boy.”

The recording didn’t make it clear what the exact exchange referred to - just the Trump Organisation or any potential business ventures linked to the president or his family. 

However, the Trump brand did debut its first golf club in Indonesia in March, in partnership with a local firm.

Another highlight of the summit was when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif put forward the “great” Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize next year, renewing his appeal for the Republican leader to receive the prestigious award. Many on social media criticised this move, dubbing it “disgraceful”. 

 

 

By the time Trump landed in Egypt, the first phase of the ceasefire was nearly concluded. Israeli forces had pulled back from central Gaza but continued to hold about 58 percent of the territory, while the final 20 remaining captives were freed in exchange for Palestinian detainees.

Gaza has been reduced to rubble by two years of Israeli bombardment, and over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in what has been recognised as a genocide by the United Nations.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

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