Some Republican leaders in Congress openly rejected President Donald Trump’s plan for the U.S. to take over Gaza, while his right-wing backers expressed their support for the idea and Democrats blasted the proposal in the wake of the shocking Tuesday announcement.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands as they leave ... [+]
Multiple Republican lawmakers expressed reservations about Trump’s plans for the U.S. to take over Gaza.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told reporters “there’s probably a couple of kinks in that slinky” and predicted "obviously it’s not going to happen, I don’t know under what circumstance it would make sense even,” NBC News reported.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the U.S. has “no business” occupying Gaza, adding “I thought we voted for America First.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters the plan might be “problematic” for his constituents and said “we’ll see what our Arab friends say about that,” but said he would “keep an open mind.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said “I don’t know that I think it’s the best use of United States resources” and that he doesn’t believe the U.S. should send troops to Gaza, Politico reported.
Others suggested they were still assessing Trump’s proposal.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Politico U.S. officials want to see a solution to the conflict and “how we best achieve that I think is still—it’s a subject of conversation and it sounds like [Trump’s] got an idea on that.”
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, declined to comment and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he didn’t know “what to make of” Trump’s plan, according to Politico.
Some of Trump’s right-wing allies in Congress gave full-throated endorsements of the plan.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said “let’s turn Gaza into Mar-A-Lago” in a post on X.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said “Under President Trump, America will be the beacon of PEACE for the world! It’s time to change the Middle East in pursuit of ending endless war, and this is EXACTLY how it’s done!”
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., wrote “thank God we finally have a president who is committed to standing with Israel and working with Netanyahu on how to support their efforts to get terrorists out of Gaza and bring every hostage home.”
Those who have spoken out have strongly condemned the proposal, with the exception of Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who has broken with his colleagues recently to support Trump’s controversial cabinet nominees. Calling Trump’s proposal “provocative,” Fetterman said “it’s part of a conversation and that’s where we are,” adding that American troops in Gaza would “certainly be a party” of Trump’s proposal, Politico reported. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian-American in Congress, accused Trump of waging an “ethnic cleansing” of the Palestinian people in a post on X. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told reporters he was “speechless,” adding “that’s insane. I can’t think of a place on Earth that would welcome American troops less and where any positive outcome is less likely,” NBC reported.
Trump made the surprising announcement Tuesday during a news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a sit-down between the two at the White House. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” predicting Gaza could become a “Riviera of the Middle East.” Trump said Palestinians should be relocated to other countries, including Jordan or Egypt, and did not rule out U.S. military intervention. The idea breaks with a longstanding view held by multiple previous presidents that there should be a two-state solution. Trump made the remarks as Israel and Hamas are in the midst of negotiating a permanent cease-fire deal. The proposal has drawn widespread rebuke from world leaders and U.S. allies, including the U.K., France, Germany and Australia, while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suggested the plan would be “a serious violation of international law.”
Trump Calls Gaza ‘Demolition Site,’ Proposes Resettling Palestinians In Meeting With Netanyahu (Forbes)