Trump appoints Morgan Ortagus as deputy special envoy for Middle East

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated that Ortagus "fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson."

"These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens," Trump wrote.

Ortagus will join the team led by Trump’s close friend and trusted confidant, Steve Witkoff.

"She will hopefully be an asset to Steve, a great leader, and talent, as we seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon!" Trump added.

Mission of the "Peace Team"

Morgan Ortagus is an experienced national security and foreign policy expert and will be a significant addition to the White House’s "Peace Team." Her role will focus on the unstable region where the Gaza Strip conflict continues.

The team’s priority will be the release of hostages in the region and securing a ceasefire agreement if one is not reached by January 20.

Additionally, the team will have to develop a "day-after" plan, including large-scale reconstruction efforts for Gaza.

Witkoff and Ortagus are expected to work on one of Trump’s primary foreign policy goals: achieving a historic peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Trump is focused on having Witkoff and Ortagus bring "calm and prosperity" to the Middle East.

"I expect great results, and soon!" the newly elected president of the United States wrote.

Who is Morgan Ortagus

Morgan Ortagus holds the rank of a current reserve intelligence officer in the US Navy.

During Trump’s first term, Ortagus served as the spokesperson for the State Department under then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Before that, she worked as a financial intelligence analyst at the US Treasury Department and was Deputy US Treasury Attaché to Saudi Arabia.

Ortagus is close to several high-ranking Republicans, including future Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, future National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s special envoy for missions Richard Grenell.

Ortagus also worked closely with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, during his first presidential term.

Situation in the Middle East

At the end of December, Hamas and Israel exchanged accusations over delays in reaching a ceasefire in the region.

Earlier, Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of appointing businessman Massad Boulos as his chief advisor on Middle East affairs. He is the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter.

Furthermore, Trump has promised "all hell to pay" for Middle Eastern terrorists if they do not release hostages before his inauguration on January 20.