Although the president had been talking about the idea for weeks, there had been no meetings on the subject, and senior members of his government were taken by surprise.

Author: Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman
Published on: 05/02/2025 | 00:00:00

AI Summary:
Inside Trump’s Hastily Written Proposal to ‘Own’ Gaza. There had been no meetings with the State Department or Pentagon. The Defense Department had produced no estimates of the troop numbers required, or cost estimates, or even an outline of how it might work. The idea was met with immediate opposition from the Arab world, including from Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. Ally. In comments to reporters on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to soften some of Mr. Trump’s statements. The reason for their evasiveness soon became clear: No actual details existed. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump’s national security adviser appeared on “CBS Mornings” to sell the Gaza idea. But it was clear from the conversation that this was less a plan than “concepts of an plan” Mr. Netanyahu has been trying to clear Hamas from Gaza since the Oct. 7 massacre of more than 1,200 people. Two people close to Mr. Trump insisted it was his idea alone; one said they had never heard him mention the involvement of U.S. Troops before Tuesday. The concept is difficult to square with Mr. Donald Trump’s criticisms of previous presidents for nation-building in the Middle East. Trump has never cared about international law, never lectured autocratic leaders about human rights as other U.S. Presidents have done. He searches for ways to use American power to dominate other countries. All deals, whether in business or foreign affairs, have a clear winner. Trump team hears warnings from former Democratic administration officials. They counter that Obama officials incorrectly warned that the Middle East would descend into violence after Mr. Trump moved the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2017. The Biden administration tried unsuccessfully to expand upon the idea. Jonathan Swan is a White House reporter covering the administration of Donald J. Trump. Maggie Haberman The Trump Administration’s First 100 Days Tariffs: President Trump’s demands on the United States’ neighbors are difficult to measure. Nearly the entire global work force of the main American aid agency will be put on leave, according to an official memo posted online.

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