Possibly one of the most absurd things that has transpired from Donald Trump’s second presidency so far is an AI-generated video he shared depicting a vision of “Trump Gaza” — and, to clarify, calling it absurd is an understatement. What is essentially neo-colonial propaganda, Trump’s reimagination of Gaza features sunny beaches, Dubai-style skyscrapers, Trump and Benjamin Netenyahu shirtless by a pool, gold Trump statues and paraphernalia, and Elon Musk making it rain cash. Adding insult to injury is the upbeat backing track, with lyrics like “Donald’s coming to set you free” and “No more tunnels, no more fear, Trump’s Gaza is finally here.”
It goes without saying that the video is deeply disrespectful and inflammatory. Its original creators claim it was intended to be satirical, but the premise fits neatly into Trump’s expansionist foreign policy alongside his plans for Greenland, Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, Trump sharing the video on his own Truth Social account with no attribution to the original source, nor any acknowledgement that it was not intended seriously, imbues it with a certain legitimacy despite it being artificial.
The video is even more unsettling given Trump’s earlier comments at a conference with Netanyahu, where he stated that the US “will take over the Gaza Strip,” permanently resettle Palestinians in neighbouring Arab countries, and turn their land into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” It’s unclear how this plan would ever come to fruition. It has been widely labelled as a form of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, and unequivocally rejected by Arab leaders as well as several of the US’s allies in the West.
But what is perhaps most chilling about the plan is the idea that it would benefit the people of Palestine, that Trump is doing them a favour. Disregarding the Palestinians’ input and agency, Trump insisted (with Netanyahu looking on smugly) that they “only go back because they have no alternative,” and that his plan would make their lives “much better.” Palestinians have maintained that they “would rather die here than leave this land,” but Trump appears largely indifferent to what they want. He seems to view Gaza’s native inhabitants as an obstacle to its spectacular beach-resort potential — though it’s not hard to imagine how he might react if an Arab leader dared make a similar proposal to him.
The illegality and general impracticality of the plan is clear, not just because Israel is probably the only country that would cooperate with it, but also because it contradicts Trump’s own attempts to slash foreign aid spending. But maybe that’s the point — it seems incongruous and unrealistic because it is. Many have suggested that the plan’s true aim was to goad the rest of the world, and the Arab leaders especially, into finding a viable alternative. Whatever Trump’s motivations may be, his words reverberate globally, producing material consequences for other actors who are forced to take him seriously.
If this is indeed a political strategy, it is far from the safe approach that a Democratic administration might have taken, and it may well spur others on to prove that Trump’s plan isn’t feasible. But it’s clear from his rhetoric that he is blithely unconcerned with finding a solution that suits the Arab countries and the Palestinian people — in fact, creating an impression of drastic change appears to outweigh his commitment to implementing a genuine solution at all.
“President Trump and The First Lady Participate in an Abraham Accords Signing Ceremony” by The White House is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.