Washington DC : In a spectacle that could only be choreographed by the maestro of MAGA,President Donald trump rolled out the red carpet-or rather, a gold-plated one for Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field marshal asim munir, at a WhiteHouse luncheon that screamed less “statecraft” and more “let’s make a deal.” With U.S.-Iran tensions simmering hotter than a Mar-a-Lago barbecue, Trump’s sudden infatuation with Pakistan has tongues wagging, eyebrows raising, and satire pens scribbling. The scene was vintage Trump: a chandelier-lit dining room, a menu boasting “the best” halal steaks, and the President waxing poetic about Pakistan’s “brilliant, fantastic people.” But behind the gastronomic diplomacy lies a masterclass in Trump’s deal-driven foreign policy, where geopolitics meets game show pizzazz. Why the love for Pakistan? Let’s deal the cards. Iran Card First, there’s the Iran card. With Pakistan sharing an 800-kilometer border with the Islamic Republic, Trump sees a strategic jackpot.
Whispers from the Pentagon suggest U.S. drones are already buzzing from Pakistan’s Noor Khan Air Base, a logistical coup that could make or break a potential showdown with Tehran. Trump, never one to miss a photo-op, hailed Munir as a “great guy” and Pakistan as a “tremendous ally,” conveniently forgetting his 2018 tweetstorm accusing them of “lies and deceit.” Consistency? Overrated. Deals? Priceless. Then there’s the crypto card, a shiny new ace in Trump’s deck. His sons, Eric and Don Jr., alongside Jared Kushner, have plunged into the digital deep end with World Liberty Financial, a DeFi venture that’s reportedly cozying up to Pakistan’s Crypto Council. With hundreds of millions already raised and a proposed 2,000-megawatt power project to fuel crypto mining, the Trump family’s blockchain bonanza is turning Islamabad into an unlikely Silicon Valley outpost.
“Pakistan’s got the best crypto potential, folks, nobody does it better,” Trump reportedly boasted, probably while eyeing a branded NFT of himself as a turbaned tycoon. But wait, there’s more! Trump’s diplomatic slot machine also landed on counterterrorism cherries. Pakistan’s handover of an ISIS-K operative tied to the 2021 Kabul bombing earned effusive praise, with Trump claiming he “stopped a war” between Pakistan and India in May 2025. India, unimpressed, called it a bilateral ceasefire, but Trump’s not sweating the details. Why bother when you can claim a #NobelPeacePrize endorsement from Pakistan itself? “They love me over there,” he grinned, likely picturing the headline: Trump Saves World, Again.
Critics, however, smell a transactional rat. On X, users mock the lunch as a “crypto-fueled bromance,” with one post quipping, “Trump’s trading steaks for drone bases and blockchain bucks.” Others point to his 2016 campaign video declaring “love” for Pakistan, only to slash $1.3 billion in aid two years later. The man who once canceled a #Ukrainian state dinner over a mining deal snub is now playing Pakistan like a high-stakes poker hand, balancing Modi’s India on one side and Munir’s military on the other. As the luncheon plates were cleared, Trump’s deal-driven diplomacy left observers chuckling and cringing. Is this strategic genius or a geopolitical reality show? One thing’s certain: in Trump’s world, love for Pakistan comes with a contract- and a hefty dose of satire.
