Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East spent the past few months watching Netflix documentaries to brush up on world affairs.
Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, a former real estate mogul with no previous experience in diplomatic relations, told The Atlantic that he has been researching international conflicts by reading books and streaming programs such as Turning Point: The Vietnam War on the streaming service.
Although Witkoff was brought into the Trump administration as a Middle East envoy tasked with negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, his role has expanded to include trying to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
Responding to concerns about his qualifications that have been raised by Democrats, Witkoff said that, like Trump, his skills as a real estate developer translate to his role negotiating global affairs.
“Diplomacy is negotiation,” Witkoff told The Atlantic. “I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before being picked by Trump as a special Middle East envoy, Witkoff was known as a close friend of the president.
The pair has known each other since the 1980s through the New York real estate scene. Witkoff was golfing with the president during an assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September 2024. Trump survived an earlier assassination attempt in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear.
The Atlantic profile said that Witkoff became the U.S.’s top diplomat primarily because of his friendship with the president.
In addition to his critical Middle East role, Witkoff has also been leading delegations to Moscow in an effort to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Witkoff spearheaded the talks in Moscow despite Keith Kellogg being designated as the official U.S. envoy for Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations by Trump back in January.
During at least three of these talks, Witkoff reportedly broke diplomatic protocol by meeting with Putin on his own without his own interpreter, relying instead on translators provided by Moscow.
In February, Witkoff drew criticism after claiming he became friends with Putin while securing the release of imprisoned American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.
“I spent a lot of time with President Putin—talking, developing a friendship, a relationship with him—and that led to Marc getting on the plane,” Witkoff told Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, during an FII Institute forum in Miami.
.@SteveWitkoff tells @jaredkushner at @FIIKSA“I spent a lot of time with Putin. Talking and developing a friendship and relationship with him…”Witkoff was referring to the remarkable overnight trip he made earlier in the month to secure release of Mark Fogel. https://t.co/aN91AU1qro pic.twitter.com/CzDQTCYsro
— Mark Stone (@Stone_SkyNews) February 20, 2025
Wendy Sherman, who served as undersecretary of state during the Obama administration, expressed concern about Witkoff’s qualifications.
“This is a man who met with Putin by himself—how is that smart?” Sherman told The Atlantic. “I’m all for fresh perspectives, but negotiating a business deal is not the same as negotiating with Iran.”
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