President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. “take over” the Gaza Strip and that the U.S. will “own” the territory.
“Instead of having to go back and do it again, the U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip,” said Trump during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”
“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East,” he added.
“I don't want to be cute, I don't want to be a wise guy,” the president said before suggesting that Gaza could be “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
This comes as Trump also said Tuesday that he is in “no rush” to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping to resolve the new trade war between the world's two largest economies, which was ignited by his sweeping 10 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports.
This follows Trump's agreement to suspend his aggressive tariff hike against Mexico and Canada by one month after speaking with his counterparts in both nations. However, the threatened Chinese tariffs went ahead.
Key Points
- Hamas says it rejects Trump's suggestion on Gaza
- Trump uses Netanyahu press conference to suggest the US will 'own' Gaza
- Trump in 'no rush' to speak with China's Xi about tariffs
- Tulsi Gabbard & RFK Jr: Trump's nominees avoid grilling and skirt through confirmation process despite initial public outcry
- El Salvador’s president offers to host US criminals in his country’s jails – for a fee
- Pam Bondi confirmed as Trump's attorney general
Hamas says it rejects Trump's suggestion
05:16
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Hamas group in Gaza rejected U.S. president Donald Trump's suggestion that dispalced Palestinians should permanently resettle outside the Strip and proposed Washington take ownership in redeveloping the area.
"Instead of holding the Zionist occupation accountable for the crime of genocide and displacement, it is being rewarded, not punished," Hamas said in a statement.
"We reject Trump's statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region."
Democrats alarmed by Trump's bizarre proposal on Gaza
05:01
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
President Donald Trump has suggested that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the war-torn territory and proposed the U.S. take “ownership” in redeveloping the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East".
The president’s proposal was greeted with alarm by Democrats and a measure of skepticism by his Republican allies.“He’s completely lost it,” said senator Chris Murphy.
“He wants a U.S. invasion of Gaza, which would cost thousands of American lives and set the Middle East on fire for 20 years? It’s sick.”
US top diplomat Rubio backs Trump plan on US takeover of Gaza
04:41
,
Shweta Sharma
U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio late on Tuesday appeared to back president Donald Trump's plan for a U.S. takeover of Gaza, saying the Palestinian enclave must be free from Islamist group Hamas."Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas.
As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again," Mr Rubio said on X. "Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.
"While Mr Trump had floated suggestions of Palestinian displacement since 25 January, statements issued since by Mr Rubio's State Department on its websites after the top U.S. diplomat's subsequent calls with regional leaders did not explicitly mention Trump's suggestion.
Mr Trump did not offer much detail in his Tuesday proposal. Mr Rubio's post also did not elaborate further.
Zelensky calls for Tucker Carlson to ‘stop licking’ Putin's ‘a**’
04:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tore into Tucker Carlson for calling him a “dictator” who has banned free elections, telling Piers Morgan on Tuesday that the former Fox News star should “stop licking” Vladimir Putin’s “a**” and “stop working” for the Russian leader.
Justin Baragona reports.
Trump mentions one thing Iran can never have
04:25
,
Shweta Sharma
Donald Trump said that he would love to make a deal with Iran but said it cannot become a nuclear power.
He said he would like to improve bilateral relations only if Tehran agrees to the condition.
"I say this to Iran, who's listening very intently, 'I would love to be able to make a great deal. A deal where you can get on with your lives,'" Mr Trump told reporters in Washington.
"They cannot have one thing. They cannot have a nuclear weapon and if I think that they will have a nuclear weapon ... I think that's going to be very unfortunate for them," he said.
Trump draws ire from Democrats
04:07
,
Shweta Sharma
As reactions continue to pour in on Donald Trump’s Gaza comments, Democratic senator Chris Murphy lashed out at the president, calling his suggestion a “bad, sick joke”.
“He’s totally lost it. A U.S. invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke,” he said on X.
Democratic representative Jake Auchincloss called the proposal “reckless and unreasonable” in an interview with NewsNation and warned that it could jeopardise the second phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
“We have to look at Trump’s motives,” he said. “As always, when Trump proposes a policy item, there is a nepotistic, self-serving connection.”Referring to Mr Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, he added, “They want to turn this into resorts.”
Watch: Trump says he would be happy for Americans convicted of crimes to be imprisoned overseas
04:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump discusses sending Americans convicted of crimes to be imprisoned in other countries: It would be a lot less expensive and it would be a great deterrent. If we could get them out, I would be very happy pic.twitter.com/tTG7MtA9I1
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 4, 2025
Palestinian American congresswoman accuses Trump of ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Palestinians
03:55
,
Shweta Sharma
Democratic congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has condemned Donald Trump for his comments on “taking over” Gaza, accusing him of ethnic cleansing of the people.
"This president is openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal," she said on X.
"He's perfectly fine cutting off working Americans from federal funds while the funding to the Israeli government continues flowing."
This president is openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal. He’s perfectly fine cutting off working Americans from federal funds while the funding to the Israeli government continues flowing. https://t.co/Pw86wA8kOF
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) February 4, 2025
Anthony Albanese says Australia will continue to support two-state solution in Gaza
03:50
,
Shweta Sharma
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on his support of the two-state solution in Gaza following Donald Trump’s shock comments of a possible “takeover” and “levelling” of the Palestinian enclave amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Mr Albanese refused to comment on Mr Trump’s remarks on Tuesday in a meeting alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he said he saw the United States taking “a long-term ownership position” that would bring “great stability to the Middle East” region.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Albanese said he doesn’t do “running commentary” when asked about the US president’s comments.
"[What] I would say is that Australia's position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year, and it was 10 years ago, and it was under the Howard government,” Mr Albanese said.
He added that the government supports a two-state solution in Gaza which envisages Israeli and Palestinian states alongside each other.
"What we have said, though, clearly, we've supported a ceasefire. We've supported hostages being released. And we've supported aid getting into Gaza,” he said.
U.S. allies in Middle East react to Trump's bizarre statement
03:38
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Egypt, Jordan and other US allies in the Middle East have cautioned Donald Trump that relocating Palestinians from Gaza would threaten Mideast stability, risk expanding the conflict and undermine a decades-long push by the U.S. and allies for a two-state solution.
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry issued a sharply worded reaction to Trump, noting their long call for an independent Palestinian state was a "firm, steadfast and unwavering position". Saudi Arabia has been in negotiations with the U.S. over a deal to diplomatically recognize Israel in exchange for a security pact and other terms.
"The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it," the Saudi statement said.Still, Trump insists the Palestinians "have no alternative" but to leave the "big pile of rubble" that is Gaza.
He spoke out as his top aides stressed that a three-to-five-year timeline for reconstruction of the war-torn territory, as laid out in a temporary truce agreement, is not viable.
Last week, both Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II dismissed Trump's calls to resettle Gazans.
DC workers fight back against Trump's 'two sexes' order
03:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
Federal employees in Washington, D.C., are fighting back against President Donald Trump’s executive order denying the existence of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people in government, warning it may be illegal to comply with it.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order ordering the government to “recognize two sexes, male and female,” claiming these sexes are “not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
Now, attorneys and other staff with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — the agency that enforces anti-discrimination laws in the workplace — say it’s against the law for them to enforce the order, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Katie Hawkinson reports from Washington, D.C.
Watch: Trump says he will investigate high-speed rail project between San Francisco and Los Angeles
03:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump: "The real question is, how much of a kickback has there been? And one of the things I want to investigate rapidly is the train that's being build between Los Angeles and San Francisco is the worst managed project that I think I've ever seen." pic.twitter.com/MtWWrL1Z55
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 4, 2025
USAID direct hires put on leave worldwide, except those deemed essential
02:54
,
AP
The Trump administration is placing U.S. Agency for International Development direct-hire staffers around the world on leave, except those deemed essential.
A notice posted online Tuesday gives the workers 30 days to return home, upending the aid agency’s six-decade mission overseas.
Thousands of USAID employees already had been laid off and programs worldwide shut down after President Donald Trump imposed a sweeping freeze on foreign assistance.
Elon Musk’s budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency had taken USAID’s website offline over the weekend as it steadily dismantled the agency, which has been a special target of Musk, Trump and Republicans in the first two-and-a-half weeks of Trump’s second term. The website came back online Tuesday night, with the notice of recall or termination for global staffers its sole post.
The move had been rumored for several days and was the most extreme of several proposals considered for consolidating the agency into the State Department. Other options had included closures of smaller USAID missions and partial closures of larger ones.
The decision to withdraw direct-hire staff and their families earlier than their planned departures will likely cost the government tens of millions of dollars in travel and relocation costs.
Staff being placed on leave include both foreign and civil service officers who have legal protection against arbitrary dismissal and being placed on leave without reason.
The American Foreign Service Association, the union which represents U.S. diplomats, sent a notice to its members denouncing the decision and saying it was preparing legal action to counter or halt it.
Locally employed USAID staff do not have much recourse and were excluded from the federal government’s voluntary buyout offer.
The notice says those who will exempted from leave include staffers responsible for “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs” and would be informed by Thursday afternoon.
“Thank you for your service,” the notice concluded.
UN: US has frozen funding for the UN-backed mission to quell gangs in Haiti
02:35
,
AP
The U.S. has notified the United Nations that it is freezing funding to a U.N.-backed mission in Haiti tasked with fighting gangs trying to seize full control of the country’s capital, the U.N. said Tuesday.
The U.S. has been the biggest contributor to the mission led by Kenyan police, which was launched last year and is struggling with a lack of funding and personnel. The halt will have an “immediate impact” on the mission, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Read on...
Watch: Trump says much of USAID 'is really fraudulent'
02:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Doocy: Sounds like you’re going to wind down USAID
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 4, 2025
Trump: Sounds like it. I could see Marco Rubio being in charge. Some of the money is well spent I guess but much of it is really fraudulent. pic.twitter.com/qbBpK8OQkn
Trump’s tariff tactics carry higher economic risks this time around
01:35
,
AP
When Donald Trump started the biggest trade war since the 1930s in his first term, his impulsive combination of threats and import taxes on U.S. trading partners created chaos, generated drama -- and drew criticism from mainstream economists who favor free trade.
But it didn’t do much damage to the U.S. economy. Or much good. Inflation stayed under control. The economy kept growing as it had before. And America’s massive trade deficits, the main target of Trump’s ire, proved resistant to his rhetoric and his tariffs: Already big, they got bigger.
The trade war sequel that Trump has planned for his second term – if it unfolds the way he's described it – would likely be a different matter altogether. Trump appears to have grander ambitions and is operating in a far more treacherous economic environment this time.
Continue reading...
Pam Bondi confirmed as Trump's attorney general
01:19
,
Gustaf Kilander
Pam Bondi has been confirmed to serve as President Donald Trump’s attorney general.
The 59-year-old was a prosecutor in Florida before becoming the state’s top law enforcement official.
She’s now set to lead the president’s efforts to reshape the Department of Justice. Bondi has served as a top surrogate for Trump and his efforts to refute the results of the 2020 election. She has criticized other prosecutors for charging the president with a variety of offenses. Bondi also defended Trump during his first impeachment trial, which came following allegations that he had withheld military aid to Ukraine as he urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former President Joe Biden.
Read more:
EPA head Lee Zeldin called climate change a threat before the Senate — now he's changed his tune
01:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin made a complete 180-degree turn Tuesday, decrying concerns about the existential issue of climate change and pledging to power “the Great American Comeback.”
Last Month, Zeldin had told Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders during his Senate confirmation hearings that he believes in the threat of climate change, and that the U.S. “must, with urgency, be addressing these issues.” However, in a recent interview with Breitbart News, the former New York congressman blasted the previous administration and seemed to make a complete reversal from remarks on the Hill.
Julia Musto reports from New York.
Trump uses Netanyahu press conference to suggest the US will 'own' Gaza
00:49
,
Andrew Feinberg
President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that the United States could take control of the Gaza Strip and spearhead rebuilding efforts if the Palestinians who’ve been displaced from Gaza during the war that began after the October 7 terror attacks on Israel are relocated to a more habitable location in Egypt, Jordan or elsewhere.
Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an East Room press conference after the two leaders met in the Oval Office, Trump said Palestinians could be relocated to “numerous sites” or “one large site” that would be constructed and funded by “neighboring countries of great wealth” and located in “other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts.”
Read more:
U.S. is 'so wealthy but so unhappy‘ according to new report card on American well-being
00:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
The United States boasts the second-largest economy in the world — but perhaps at the cost of Americans’ quality of life, a new report revealed.
A State of the Nation report released Monday analyzed how the country is faring compared to others based on data from 1990 to 2023 across 15 topics, including the economy, the environment, life satisfaction, mental health and inequality. The report underscored how the U.S. is thriving economically but failing in nearly every other aspect analyzed.
The report summarized its findings by classifying the U.S. as a “nation of extremes.”
Kelly Rissman looks at the data.
'The Riviera of the Middle East'
00:35
,
Gustaf Kilander
Kaitlan Collins of CNN asked Trump where the Gazans should go and who would be living in the Gaza he envisions.
“I envision world people living there. The world's people,” said Trump. “I think you'll make that into an international, unbelievable place.”
“I think the potential of the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world, will be there, and they'll live there,” he added. “Palestinians will live there. Many people will live there, but they've tried the other and they've tried it for decades and decades and decades. It's not going to work. It didn't work. It will never work.”
“And you have to learn from history. History is, you know, just can't let it keep repeating itself,” said the president. “We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don't want to be cute, I don't want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East.”
WATCH: Trump suggests U.S. takeover of Gaza
00:25
,
Gustaf Kilander
REPORTER: You are talking tonight about the US taking over a sovereign territory. What authority would allow you to do that? Are you talking about a permanent occupation?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 5, 2025
TRUMP: I do see a long term ownership position pic.twitter.com/EbEI37jYDN
Trump calls Gaza a 'hell-hole'
00:23
,
Gustaf Kilander
Trump called Gaza a “hell-hole” during his press conference with Netanyahu.
“You have to learn from history. You can't keep doing the same mistake over and over again,” said Trump. “Gaza is a hell hole right now. It was before the bombing started, frankly, and we're going to give people a chance to live in a beautiful community that's safe and secure.”
'I do see a long-term ownership position'
00:20
,
Gustaf Kilander
Kelly O'Donnell of NBC News asked Trump and Netanyahu: “Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, you are talking tonight about the United States taking over a sovereign territory. What authority would allow you to do that?”
“Are you talking about a permanent occupation?” she asked.
“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East,” said Trump.
“Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent in a really magnificent area,” he added.
Musk has autonomy 'almost no one can control'
00:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Elon Musk, an unelected “special government employee” and the world’s richest person, is operating with autonomy that “almost no one can control” as he oversees the Department of Government Efficiency, a Trump administration official told The New York Times.
Musk, the world’s richest man, and his team at DOGE have already acquired classified documents, gained access to financial systems with sensitive personal information and conducted “aggressive incursions” into half a dozen federal agencies during the first weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, the Times reported.
Now, even senior White House officials tell the Times they’re being left in the dark as Musk exercises his unchecked power. Several former and current federal officials even told the outlet they’re feeling a sense of helplessness.
Katie Hawkinson reports.
Trump suggests U.S. will 'take over' Gaza
00:02
,
Gustaf Kilander
The press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump is underway.
Trump suggested that Palestinians be moved and that they live somewhere other than Gaza.
“We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza, ending the death and destruction and frankly, bad luck,” said Trump. “This could be paid for by neighboring countries of great wealth.”
Trump also suggested that the U.S. will “take over” the Gaza Strip.
“Instead of having to go back and do it again, the US will take over the Gaza Strip,” said Trump. “We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”
He added: “Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
FBI agents file class action lawsuit against Trump’s Justice Department
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:55
,
Oliver O'Connell
FBI agents who worked on cases surrounding the January 6 attack and investigations into Donald Trump are suing the Department of Justice to block the administration from “unlawful” and “retaliatory” purges as the president and his allies launch a campaign of “retribution” against government agencies.
A class action lawsuit brought by nine anonymous agents in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday includes a copy of a three-page survey that Justice Department leadership is using to identify agents who worked on cases involving the president and the prosecution of hundreds of people in connection with the Capitol assault.
Another group of agents in a separate lawsuit are seeking a court’s protection from the “anticipated retaliatory decision to expose their personal information” and for the “potential vigilante action by those who they were investigating.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Trump set to attend Super Bowl between Chiefs and Eagles
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:45
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump is set to attend the Super Bowl showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, The Independent understands.
Specific details of the president’s trip to New Orleans for the game, which is taking place at the Caesar’s Superdome on Sunday, have not been disclosed.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
El Salvador wants to detain deportees, including Americans, in notorious 'tropical gulag'
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
The Trump administration has warmly greeted an offer from El Salvador to detain both deported undocumented migrants and criminal U.S. citizens in a sprawling high-security prison that human rights experts have dubbed a “tropical gulag.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited El Salvador and its president Nayib Bukele on Monday as part of a Central American tour.
Rubio called the highly unorthodox and potentially illegal scheme an “act of extraordinary friendship to our country.”
Josh Marcus reports.
Trump’s border czar threatens to 'seek prosecution' against N.J. governor
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:25
,
Oliver O'Connell
Trump administration immigration czar Tom Homan threatened to prosecute New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy after the Democratic leader suggested over the weekend he might house a person with uncertain legal immigration status above his garage.
“Well, I think the governor is pretty foolish saying what he said because I’ve gotten hold of it, won’t let it go, we’re looking into it, and if he’s knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that’s a violation,” Homan told Fox News on Monday.
Josh Marcus reports.
ANALYSIS: Trump's nominees avoid grilling and skirt through confirmation process despite initial public outcry
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:22
,
Oliver O'Connell
Eric Garcia writes:
On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee voted to refer Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation to become secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Right as the committee came to order, Kennedy and Donald Trump received a lucky break when Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Republican physician who repeatedly grilled Kennedy about promoting the debunked link between vaccines and autism, said he would vote for him.
A few hours later, the Senate Intelligence Committee voted behind closed doors to refer Tulsi Gabbard to be Trump’s director of National Intelligence.
That came after Trump’s contentious confirmation hearing where Republicans questioned her about her past criticism of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the U.S. government to gather intelligence on non-U.S. persons outside the United States, as well as her call for Trump to pardon Edward Snowden.
Read on...
Trump and Musk order termination of federal office leases nationwide
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:15
,
AP
One of the next moves in President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s sweeping effort to fire government employees and curtail operations is using the agency that manages thousands of federal employee worksites around the country to cut down on office space.
Last week, regional managers for the General Services Administration, or GSA, received a message from the agency’s Washington headquarters to begin terminating leases on all of the roughly 7,500 federal offices nationwide, according to an email shared with The Associated Press by a GSA employee.
The order seems to contradict Trump’s own return-to-office mandate for federal employees, adding confusion to what was already a scramble by the GSA to find workspace, internet connections and office building security credentials for employees who had been working remotely for years.
But it may reflect the Trump administration’s belief that it won’t need as many offices due to its efforts to fire employees or encourage them to resign.
Watch LIVE: President Trump and Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu hold White House press conference
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:07
,
Oliver O'Connell
All the ways Trump and Musk have floated catching government leaks
Tuesday 4 February 2025 23:05
,
Oliver O'Connell
Teams for President Donald Trump - and his right-hand man, billionaire Elon Musk - have reportedly proposed spreading fake information, planting “spies” or accessing employee emails to catch the federal workers who may be leaking internal messages to the media.
Since Trump reclaimed the Oval Office on January 20 there has been no shortage of leaks about the president’s plans to re-vamp the federal government or Musk’s attempts to overhaul the federal workforce.
Ariana Baio looks at what they are trying to do about it.
'Sharpiegate' scientist nominated by Trump to lead NOAA
Tuesday 4 February 2025 22:55
,
Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump has announced that an atmospheric scientist at the center of the infamous “Sharpiegate” controversy will lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admi