Trump hosts iftar dinner to thank Muslims for their support in elections

By hosting an iftar dinner at the White House, US President Donald Trump expressed gratitude toward “hundreds of thousands” of Muslim Americans for their overwhelming support during the 2024 presidential election.

It was the first Ramadan iftar dinner of his second term, which began earlier this year.

Amid his administration’s strong support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Trump vowed to stand by Muslims, stating that the Muslim community “was there for us in November” and that the US administration “would be there for you in return.”

“As we honor the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, let me begin by saying to our Muslim friends, we have many tonight, and I believe we have many all over the world based on the results in Michigan and other places. But I just want to say hello to all of the people who supported us so strongly, Ramadan Mubarak,” he said in the State Dining Room.

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He further claimed, “We're keeping our promises to the Muslim community. My administration is engaged in relentless diplomacy to forge lasting peace in the Middle East, building on the historic Abraham Accords, which everybody said would be impossible. And now we're going to start expanding them.”

A historic number of Muslim voters backed Trump in the 2024 election, largely due to his stance on ending the war in Gaza and widespread discontent with former President Joe Biden’s support for Israel.

Notably, Trump controversially proposed taking ownership of Gaza and displacing nearly two million Palestinians to develop the war-ravaged territory.

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According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, the number of Muslim attendees at the iftar dinner was notably low, as the room could accommodate just over 60 people.

Most seats were occupied by non-Muslim Trump political appointees and allies, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, and Deputy Middle East Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus.