Fresh from declaring victory in his trade war with Mexico and Canada, Donald Trump on Tuesday shocked the world – and his own team – by proposing that the US would take over war-torn Gaza, move the Palestinian residents out – contrary to international law – and redevelop the area.
The out-of-the-blue proposal flummoxed Republican lawmakers. “We’ll see what our Arab friends say about that. I think most South Carolinians would probably not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham.
The reaction around the world was less polite but reflected similar confusion. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt walked the proposal back, but then Trump doubled down early Thursday, asserting that the plan would not require troops.
Analysts doubt the idea is practical, but it has dominated headlines around the world, sidelining coverage of the turmoil in the US capital as Elon Musk works behind the scenes to radically overhaul the US government.
Today, millions of federal workers were meant to decide if they wanted to take a buyout from the Office of Personnel Management, which is in the midst of what appears to be a hostile takeover by Musk, one in a series of confusing, behind-the-scenes struggles that has alarmed civil servants and Democrats to the point of protests. As of Thursday afternoon, however, the buyout program was in limbo after a federal judge paused the deadline.
The atmosphere of conflict has led to growing fears of a government shutdown in March since Republicans will need Democratic votes in Congress to pass budget measures, and Democrats are overwhelmed and furious.