President Donald Trump has been discussing his idea for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip "for months," MAGA aides told Politico Wednesday.
Per the report, "It was clear Wednesday that they did little to prepare the rest of the world for Trump’s pitch to relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians from their homeland in Gaza so the U.S. could assert ownership of the area and turn it into 'the Riviera of the Middle East."
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One person granted anonymity told the news outlet, "This was a 'get your ass to the negotiating table’ message."
Drawing a comparison to Trump's tariff plan that he discussed for months ahead of his election win, the person added, "It was just like 25 percent tariffs on Canada."
Politico reports, "Another senior administration official given anonymity to discuss internal thinking said that Trump’s blunt statement that the U.S. would 'own and be responsible' for a Gaza Strip that has been reduced to rubble by 15 months of Israeli bombing should be read more broadly as an expression of his determination to lead a rebuilding process that achieves a lasting peace."
Politico's full report is available here.