President Donald Trump fancies himself as many things. Savior of a nation. Billionaire media and real estate mogul. A true master negotiator. Even a WWE wrestling champion—not to mention a rock star playing piano for an entire stadium. One thing many don’t think of him as is as the liberator-in-chief in foreign affairs. 

But that is precisely how he has operated. Contrary to many of his critics, Trump does have a human rights dimension to his foreign policy. In fact, a look at Trump’s record indicates that the liberation of political prisoners and hostages forms an essential component of his approach to foreign affairs.

Consider the Middle East. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits with Trump this week at the White House, Trump is keenly fixated on getting the remaining hostages being held by the Palestinian (and Iranian-backed) terrorist network, Hamas, back to freedom.

The Times of Israel reports that “Mediators have been informed that US President Donald Trump wants a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal to be inked by the end of the week, and his top Steve Witkoff is being dispatched to Qatar to advance the effort, even as fundamental differences between the sides remains on Monday.” Trump believes that he will have a deal by the end of the week.

Trump has overseen the freeing of many hostages who were being held by Hamas since the........

© The National Interest