Trump posts video offering imagined vision of Gaza after his takeover plan
President Donald Trump posted to his Truth Social account late Tuesday an apparently AI-generated video that offers a splashy vision of his plan to transform the Gaza Strip into an enclave of resorts and skyscrapers — including a Trump-branded hotel in what it calls “Trump Gaza.”
“No more tunnels, no more fear. Trump Gaza is finally here,” a voice sings to an electronic dance beat in the video. “Trump Gaza, shining bright. Golden future, a brand new life.”
Trump has proposed that the United States take over Gaza, permanently removing more than 2 million residents from the Palestinian territory and settling them elsewhere. He has also said he wants to develop the war-torn territory under U.S. control, asserting that Gaza could become the “Riviera of the Middle East.” His plan has prompted outrage and swift rejection from Palestinians and their Arab allies in the region.
The 33-second video begins by showing Palestinians walking through rubble in Gaza and includes a title caption asking: “What’s next?” It then shows Palestinian children walking toward a Gaza with sandy beaches and a futuristic skyline of buildings.
It features apparently AI-generated shots of a massive gold statue of Trump, a child holding a large gold balloon of Trump’s head, tech billionaire Elon Musk dancing on a beach as money is thrown in the air, and Musk eating hummus. In one shot, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are sunbathing with drinks in their hands.
The White House did not respond to questions about who produced the video and how Trump obtained it to share on his Truth Social account. In a statement, Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, reiterated Trump’s stated goal for wanting to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians.
“As President Trump has said, Gaza in its current state is unhabitable for any human being,” Kelly said. “President Trump is a visionary, and his plan to have the United States involved in Gaza’s rebuilding will allow for Palestinians to resettle in new, beautiful communities while improving conditions in the region for generations to come.”
Trump has given mixed answers about whether Palestinians would be permitted to return to Gaza as part of his plan for the United States to take ownership of the territory and rebuild it. He said that Palestinians and “many people” would be able to live in Gaza when he first announced his plan earlier this month. Days later, in an interview with Fox News, he described his vision as “a real estate development for the future” and said he would own it — and that Palestinians would settle in permanent housing elsewhere.
Trump’s proposal has been broadly condemned as tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Leaders from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have been scrambling to put together an alternative plan for Gaza.
On Wednesday morning, critics of the president took to social media to slam his posting of the video, with several activists and political commentators describing it as callous and disturbing.