Patterico's Pontifications

2/5/2025

President Trump Says the Most Outrageous Thing, Part 412

Filed under: General — Dana @ 7:27 am



[guest post by Dana]

President Trump on Gaza:

“They’re gonna have peace,” Trump said of the Palestinians he wants to displace from Palestine. “They’re not going to be shot at and killed and destroyed like this civilization of wonderful people has had to endure. The only reason the Palestinians wanna go back to Gaza is they have no alternative. It’s right now a demolition site. This is just a demolition site. Virtually every building is down. They’re living under fallen concrete that’s very dangerous and very precarious.”

The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. 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. Level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s gonna end up the same way it has for 100 years.

Moreover, the President echoed Jared Kushner’s comments made last year that Gaza could be a luxury resort:

“We’re going to take over that piece that we’re going to develop it. We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don’t want to be cute, I don’t want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East, this could be something that could be so — this could be so magnificent.”

Just the President popping off with another hare-brained scheme that his supporters are going to try and convince us that he is playing 4-dimensional chess and we just don’t understand? Or just more political theater?

At the second link above you can read how neighboring nations, political leaders, Palestinians and Israelis are reacting to the President’s developer’s pie-in-the-sky dreams.

And just for fun:

—Dana

37 Responses to “President Trump Says the Most Outrageous Thing, Part 412”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (8d14c5)

  2. Jordan already has two million refugees, all without Jordanian citizenship. Syria has nearly 600k, Lebanon nearly 500k, Egypt a little over 100k, all non-eligible for citizenship. Palestinian refugees are already the unwanted stepchild of the Middle East, and these nations don’t want any more stepchildren.

    Trump will also be displeased to hear that Guantanamo is only 45 square miles to Gaza’s 141.

    Paul Montagu (5784df)

  3. Pure political theater designed to extract concession for neighboring Arab nations.

    In other words, he’s trying to shift the overton window here. (whether he’s successful or not remains to be seen)

    whembly (b7cc46)

  4. Also, it’s a distraction of all the things he’s pushing domestically.

    Media is trying to drink in all the Trump administration “stuff” out of a firehose, and it’s showing.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  5. Oh, I dunno. Maybe it’s more than past time that a second-generation Bavarian megalomaniac did a little ethnic cleansing for Jews instead of Jews this time around.

    nk (f2c1cf)

  6. The fundamental flaw in Trump proposals, if you can call it that, is that Palestinians has shown zero interest in living in peace. No matter WHAT is done in Gaza, Palestinians isn’t going to stop their intifada, so any redevelopment plans is going to be wasted.

    whembly (b7cc46)

  7. @5. Nk. Your comments are worth the price of admission. Oh wait that sounded like a backhanded compliment. Your comments are funny and sharp.

    JRH (d73215)

  8. @5

    Oh, I dunno. Maybe it’s more than past time that a second-generation Bavarian megalomaniac did a little ethnic cleansing for Jews instead of Jews this time around.

    nk (f2c1cf) — 2/5/2025 @ 8:43 am

    If you’re trying to garner some sympathy on Hamas’ behalf, I’d encourage you to watch the videos of the 10/7 massacre.

    You’ll find yourself lacking any sympathy…

    whembly (b7cc46)

  9. Is every Palestinian a member of Hamas?

    Maybe if you kill enough of them.

    Davethulhu (14e9e4)

  10. Is every Palestinian a member of Hamas?

    Davethulhu (14e9e4) — 2/5/2025 @ 11:17 am

    Is every Russian a member of Putin’s party?

    whembly (b7cc46)

  11. It’s easy enough to find people in Gaza on the payroll of the government in Ramallah, hoping for a restoration.

    There are probably plenty more who care for neither of them.

    But nobody is going to stick his neck out.

    Sammy Finkelman (4f7c0b)

  12. So, TLDR, whatabout squirrel.

    Colonel Klink (ret) (96f56a)

  13. Trump says dumb things.

    Democrats and Nevertrump do dumb things.

    Appreciate the difference.

    lloyd (533348)

  14. @5 Godwin status achieved only 5 comments in. That’s later than usual.

    lloyd (533348)

  15. I’m not sure why Trump’s comments regarding Gaza need interpretation, they seemed pretty clear:

    Top Trump administration officials on Wednesday walked back elements of President Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and drive out the Palestinian population, insisting that he had not committed to using U.S. troops to clear the territory and that any relocation of Palestinians would be temporary.
    ……..
    Speaking to reporters in Guatemala, Secretary of State Marco Rubio twice suggested that Mr. Trump was only proposing to clear out and rebuild Gaza, not claim indefinite possession of the territory. ……..

    And at the White House, the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said “the president has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza,” though she did not specify how the United States could take control of the territory without using military force.
    ………

    Gaza is not our problem.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  16. I’m not sure how the US would take “ownership” of Gaza without occupying the territory with US troops. At the present time, Hamas still controls Gaza.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  17. #15 — we can’t be going and occupying Gaza. It will wreck the planning for the invasion of Canada (or Greenland, or Panama, or Mexico)

    Appalled (b413f8)

  18. No matter WHAT is done in Gaza, Palestinians isn’t going to stop their intifada, so any redevelopment plans is going to be wasted.

    whembly (b7cc46) — 2/5/2025 @ 8:53 am

    Completely true. Anyone who thinks the Palestinians are going to set aside their decades-long hatred of Israel over some shiny new buildings is naive.

    norcal (a72384)

  19. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, yesterday:

    “Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas. As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again,” Rubio said on X. “Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”

    And today

    US President Donald Trump only wants Palestinians to leave Gaza temporarily while the territory is reconstructed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.
    ……….
    Trump wants to support “rebuilding homes and businesses and things of this nature, so that then people can move back in,” he said.

    I think it’s pretty hard for Rubio to honestly conclude that Trump wants Palestinians to leave “temporarily” and “move back in.”

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  20. Trump also said this about the coast of a country being turned into a resort about North Korea, but he couldn’t get North Koran dictator Kim Jong Un to bite. At least to give up his nuclear program

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-05/trump-tried-and-failed-to-lure-kim-jong-un-to-peace-with-beachfront-condo-plan

    https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-north-korea-beaches-great-place-for-hotels-condos-2018-6

    Trump applauds North Korea’s ‘great beaches,’ says they would be a perfect location for condos and hotels

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  21. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/5/2025 @ 1:39 pm

    I think it’s pretty hard for Rubio to honestly conclude that Trump wants Palestinians to leave “temporarily” and “move back in.”

    Trump gave him room to claim that.

    Marco Rubio is starting to fill the shoes of Mark Pompeo.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  22. I think it’s pretty hard for Rubio to honestly conclude that Trump wants Palestinians to leave “temporarily” and “move back in.”

    Trump gave him room to claim that.

    Marco Rubio is starting to fill the shoes of Mark Pompeo.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09) — 2/5/2025 @ 2:04 pm

    What part of Trump’s comments would lead anyone to conclude that the Palestinians could “move back in”?

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  23. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-text-trump-and-netanyahus-explosive-news-conference

    Question:

    Just a follow up on what you were saying about the Gazans leaving Gaza going to other countries. One, where exactly are you suggesting that they should go? And two, are you saying they should return after it’s rebuilt? And if not, who do you envision living there?

    Donald Trump:

    I envision a world – people living there, the world’s people. I think you’ll make that into an international, unbelievable place. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world will be there and they’ll –

    Question:

    [Inaudible] Palestinians?

    Donald Trump:

    And they’ll live there. Palestinians also. Palestinians will live there, many people will live there. But they’ve tried the other and they’ve tried it for decades and decades and decades. It’s not going to work. It didn’t work. It will never work. And you have to learn from history. History has – you know, you just can’t let it keep repeating itself.

    Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into something like the International Settlement in Shanghai before World War II.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_International_Settlement

    Palestinians from Gaza will be doing so well and be so established in their new homes (he supposes) that not too many will want to go to Gaza unless they can make a lot of money.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  24. Open border for Gaza?

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  25. Fools rush in….

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  26. You have to wonder what goes through Rubio’s mind here. Does he say “Mr President that’s loony tunes”? Or does he say “Yessir yessir three bags full sir.”

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  27. Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into something like the International Settlement in Shanghai before World War II.

    I think it’s more of a Potemkin Disneyland.

    Kevin M (a9545f)

  28. I’ve added Jared Kushmer’s comments about Gaza.

    Dana (b16969)

  29. Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into something like the International Settlement in Shanghai before World War II.

    More like a playground for the uber wealthy.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  30. Only part 412?

    He’s averaged at least 20 a day since 2015

    steveg (e5b91f)

  31. Yeah, he’s just “throwing things out there.” But he was reading all that from a prepared script.

    But every time Trump farts, the usual people show up to declare that everything smells fine.

    Roger (5d0bec)

  32. #26 Rubio is not cynical enough to employ the old tactic: When the Loser asks him to do something stupid, Rubio should say that’s a good idea; it’s just what Biden proposed.

    (I like Rubio, but I don’t think he is enough of a fox to be head diplomat, in this dangerous world.)

    Jim Miller (294f7e)

  33. I’m not saying it smells fine. I’m saying its probably not the last fart in the sequence

    steveg (0b36b3)

  34. Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into something like the International Settlement in Shanghai before World War II.

    That’s a complete misunderstanding of what the International Settlement was. It was essentially a carve out of Chinese territory for citizens of the occupying Western powers in Shanghai, over which China had no control. From you link:

    The International Settlement was wholly foreign-controlled, with staff of all nationalities, including British, Americans, Danes, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italians and Germans. In reality, the British held the largest number of seats on the council and headed all the Municipal departments (British included Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, Newfoundlanders, and South Africans whose extraterritorial rights were established by the United Kingdom treaty).

    The only department not chaired by a Briton was the Municipal Orchestra, which was controlled by an Italian.

    The Settlement maintained its own fire-service, police force (the Shanghai Municipal Police), and even possessed its own military reserve in the Shanghai Volunteer Corps. Following some disturbances at the British concession in Hankow in 1927, the defences at Shanghai were augmented by a permanent battalion of the British Army, which was referred to as the Shanghai Defence Force (SDF or SHAF),[11] and a contingent of US Marines. Other armed forces would arrive in Shanghai; the French Concession had a defensive force of Troupes de marine and Annamite suppletive troops from French Indochina, the Italians also introduced their own marines, as did the Japanese (whose troops eventually outnumbered the other countries’ many times over).

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8)

  35. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/6/2025 @ 11:44 am

    That’s a complete misunderstanding of what the International Settlement was.

    It was essentially a carve out of Chinese territory for citizens of the occupying Western powers in Shanghai, over which China had no control.

    Isn’t that what Donald Trump is proposing? A carveout of foreign (you can even call it Palestinian) territory over which the the country to which it belongs to, of any, will have no control, and in which citizens of countries from al over the world could live.

    He’s modified it (or Rubio did) from a version of Disneyland.

    Now he wants to do this without any U.S. military force. He would have to involve some Arab countries or France.

    I think he’d have to modify it more to create five libertarian enclaves in different parts of the world, not just Gaza. That would be more acceptable.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

  36. Jim Miller (294f7e) — 2/6/2025 @ 10:38 am

    , Rubio should say that’s a good idea; it’s just what Biden proposed.

    Biden did propose – and never backed off – getting rid of Hamas rule in Gaza.

    Although he never proposed any idea of how to get from here to there.

    Donald Trump too wants to get rid of Hamas

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-text-trump-and-netanyahus-explosive-news-conference

    . In our meetings today, the prime minister and I focused on the future, discussing how we can work together to ensure Hamas is eliminated and ultimately restore peace to a very troubled region.

    And there’s not one country in the word that says they are the legitimate rulers of Gaza.

    Some want to say the Palestinian Authority is, but Mohammed Abbas is neither king and is in about the 20th year of a four year term and is openly corrupt their defense to the accusation that they support terrorists was no, no, we’re stealing the foreign aid, not handing it over to terrorists. So the standing proposal from the Biden Administration was a “reformed” Palestinian Authority. Which shows no signs of happening.

    Abbas didn’t want to provide “legal” cover for some foreign multi-Arab establishment. Not to mention that the whole thing is anon-starter with Israel.

    Sammy Finkelman (e4ef09)

Leave a Reply


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0713 secs.