Trump, GOP Froth at the Mouth for U.S. to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza

On Tuesday, Trump pledged to turn Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East," and his sycophants in Congress quickly pledged their support.

By Kylie Cheung  |  February 5, 2025 | 12:42pm
Photo: Getty Images Politics
Trump, GOP Froth at the Mouth for U.S. to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza

On Tuesday, the White House welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who has a warrant out for his arrest for international war crimes—for his first Oval Office meet-and-greet with the new president. Donald Trump, who famously fancies himself an old-school strongman, even deferentially pushed Netanyahu’s chair in for him, while Netanyahu said of Trump’s reelection, “I’m happy that they’re here.” The convicted felon and war criminal spent the day side-by-side, waxing poetic about the other’s leadership to reporters, commending each other on Israel’s “ceasefire,” and, ah, yes, mutually salivating over the prospect of ethnically cleansing Gaza. 

Netanyahu—who’s spent the last 15 months turning Gaza into a mass grave—and Trump opened their press conference by repeating several entirely unfounded smears about Palestinians, including baseless claims that Palestinians have burned Israeli babies alive en masse, which no reporters in the room bothered to question. Netanyahu also thanked Trump for his “powerful leadership” and for “[helping] a lot” on Israel and Gaza’s ceasefire-hostage release deal in January.

Then, Trump not only declared his intent for the U.S. to “take over Gaza,” potentially deploying American troops, but also articulated his vision to displace the millions of Palestinians still living there in order to use the land for commercial real estate. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings,” he said, pledging to convert Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” to be enjoyed by “the world’s people.” In other words: ethnic cleansing!

Two million Palestinians remain in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 48,400 Palestinians were killed since October 2023, though the New York Times and several research institutes estimate the real toll is much higher—as high as 100,000 or close to 200,000. Trump previously said all remaining Palestinians should leave for Egypt. He reiterated his call for their mass exodus on Tuesday, cruelly adding, “Why would they [Palestinians] want to return? That place has been hell.” Both Trump and Netanyahu conspicuously ignored a voice that yelled out, “Because it’s their home!”

“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East,” Trump said of the U.S. occupying Gaza. CNN reports that he later added, “This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.” 

To be clear, almost every country in the world, from France and Egypt to Turkey and Spain, has condemned Trump’s heinous comments. But much like two dumb—and genocidal—bitches telling each other “exactlyyy,” Trump’s most sycophantic officials have indeed “loved the idea.”

“Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-a-Lago,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Congress’self-appointed bathroom inspector, tweeted following the press conference. “As [Trump] shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted, while House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stated that Trump “took bold action in hopes of achieving lasting peace in Gaza.” And Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), our resident pro-genocide ogre, also didn’t sound particularly opposed to Trump’s ethnic cleansing pitch, calling it “provocative” the same way one might describe a Kim Kardashian Met Gala look, and adding that he’d support American occupation of Gaza.

Last February, Trump’s son-in-law and the human Slenderman Jared Kushner openly said that “Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable… if people would focus on building up livelihoods.”

Endorsing the crime of ethnic cleansing.

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— David Corn (@davidcorn.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 9:03 PM

Since Trump’s “Riviera of the Middle East” comments, some journalists and liberal influencers have spent the last 24 hours gloating about how pro-Palestine advocates should have just supported Biden and Kamala Harris. But there’s nothing to gloat about, really: We all knew Trump would be awful—on this and all issues. Now, if only we’d had a Democratic Party that had taken the existential threat of reelecting Trump seriously enough to listen to voters and not run such a poor campaign…

Meanwhile, Reuters has since spoken with Palestinians from Gaza about Trump’s comments, with many expressing fear of mass displacement akin to another Nakba. Still, they remain steadfast: “Trump can go to hell, with his ideas, with his money, and with his beliefs. We are going nowhere. We are not some of his assets,” Samir Abu Basil, a 40-year-old father of five, said. “The easier for him if he wants to resolve this conflict is to take the Israelis and put them in one of the states there. They are the strangers and not the Palestinians. We are the owner of the land.” If only a single U.S. politician had a fiber of this man’s courage and moral clarity.

 
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