Trump taps fellow real estate mogul Steve Witkoff as special Middle East envoy

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he had chosen Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend and fellow real estate developer, to be his special envoy for the Middle East.

“Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous. Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud” Trump said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the president-elect confirmed he had selected Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) for the position of national security adviser and nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel.

Witkoff was golfing with Trump on the afternoon of Sept. 15 at his eponymous West Palm Beach, Fla. club when an assassination attempt against the 45th president was foiled by a Secret Service agent on advance patrol.

“I feel blessed that I was out there because I got to see what he has to live his daily life like – two assassination attempts in the last two months,” Witkoff said during an X Spaces event the day after the scare.

“He is as courageous a man as I’ve ever seen,” he added. “He cared about his friends first. He asked about his friends first. And it was inspiring to watch him.”

“He’s resilient, he’s stoic – who wouldn’t want those qualities in a leader? He is a natural-born leader.”

This is a developing story. Check back for more information.