Feb 6, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza sparks GOP groans

Andrew Solender

President Trump wearing a dark blue suit and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wearing a dark gray suit, standing at podiums in front of a large portrait in a white room with a gold candelabra and a plant in the foreground. — President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu speak at a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House. on Feb. 4, 2025. Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trump's declaration earlier this week that the U.S. will "take over" the Gaza Strip is landing with a thud with some Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Why it matters: GOP dissent against Trump is exceedingly rare, but some Republicans are reeling at what they see as a particularly outlandish proposal from their party's leader.

"No thanks," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), among the most isolationist members of the House Republican conference, told Axios of Trump's idea.
"I'm not even sure Israel wants that. It's just a bad idea. It's a really bad idea," he said.

Driving the news: Trump was asked during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday whether he is planning a "permanent occupation" of Gaza.

"I do see a long-term ownership position," Trump responded, according to Axios' Dave Lawler and Barak Ravid, saying it would bring "great stability" to the region.
Trump, who has long mused that Gaza presents a stellar real estate opportunity, said that it could become "the Riviera of the Middle East."

What we're hearing: "I mean, it seems pretty fantastical," one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Axios.

Another House Republican who requested anonymity told Axios: "I'm not sure how that works. ... This just doesn't seem like a workable solution."
Trump's public desire to attain U.S. control not only of Gaza but of Greenland and the Panama Canal "seems to be a little bit at odds" with the isolationist vision he articulated on the campaign trail, the lawmaker said.

The other side: Several House Republicans leapt to Trump's defense by arguing that he wasn't literally arguing for U.S. annexation of Palestinian territory.

"It's more the U.S. bringing leadership and regional investment to the area," said Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas). "He's thinking outside the box."
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios: "I think it has more to do with economic control. I don't think it's troops on the ground. I think it's American capitalism."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The bottom line: "Not everything he's saying is crazy," the second House Republican who spoke anonymously told Axios, arguing that Trump makes some valid points about the strategic importance of Greenland.

But, the lawmaker added, "There are a lot of questions."

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Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza sparks GOP groans

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