'Approve Truth Social post': Rubio passes secret note to Trump on Gaza deal during roundtable | Watch

Stepping forward, Rubio on Wednesday whispered something briefly to Trump before handing him a folded piece of White House stationery.

A roundtable event at the White House took an unexpected turn Wednesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio discreetly passed a handwritten note to President Donald Trump during a discussion with conservative influencers on the topic of antifa, a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio whispers to President Donald Trump, who is holding the note Rubio handed to him, during a roundtable meeting on antifa in the State Dining Room at the White House(AP)

The event, held in the Blue Room of the White House, had already been underway for nearly two hours when Marco Rubio, positioned in a back corner, caught the president’s attention.

Stepping forward, he whispered something briefly to Trump before handing him a folded piece of White House stationery.

What did the note read?

Photographers in the room captured the note, which read: “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.”

Moments later, Trump turned to the room and declared: “We’re very close to a deal in the Middle East.”

The sudden development added curiosity to an already charged moment as Trump had opened the session by telling reporters that he planned to travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week” and might even “make the rounds” through Egypt and possibly the Gaza Strip.

Marco Rubio’s note came against the backdrop of talks that have resumed in a bid to halt the fighting in Gaza.

Trump’s top Middle East adviser, the prime minister of Qatar, and other senior officials on Wednesday entered a third day of negotiations between Israel and Hamas at a resort in Egypt. The talks are centered on resolving core issues tied to a US-led plan to end the war in Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio writes a note before handing it to President Donald Trump during a roundtable meeting on antifa at the White House(AP)

While Trump continued fielding questions from the influencers, Rubio stood nearby, visibly tense. Though the president showed no immediate signs of changing course, the urgency of the message was clear.

As the event concluded, Trump, offering a final remark, said “We’re gonna get peace in the Middle East. That’s what we want to do.”

He exited the room without providing further details.