Here are some reactions by Democratic politicians to US President Donald Trump’s comments:
US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said that Trump’s proposal of a US takeover of Gaza was like a “bad sick joke,” adding in a post on X that Trump had “totally lost it.”.
In a follow-up post, Murphy said it wouldn’t happen, but that Trump’s suggestion was distracting “from the real story — the billionaires seizing government to steal from regular people.”
It’s probably safe to say that Murphy’s comment is a swipe at billionaire Elon Musk’s campaign to radically upend federal agencies.
Palestinian-American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib described the notion of resettling Gazans as “ethnic cleansing” in an X post. She also criticized Trump for cutting federal support to Americans while “funding to the Israeli government continues flowing.”
“Wait what?” wrote congressman Eric Swalwell on X. “The US is going to occupy Gaza? We were promised no more endless wars.”
Not all Democrats rejected the possibility of a US presence in Gaza. Senator John Fetterman called Trump’s comments “provocative” in a statement to US outlet Politico but added that “it’s part of a conversation and that’s where we are.”
Here’s how some Republican politicians have reacted:
House Speaker Mike Johnson praised Trump’s remarks as taking a “bold action in hopes of achieving lasting peace in Gaza.”
“We are hopeful this brings much needed stability and security to the region,” he wrote on X.
US Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina was supportive: “President Trump will never stop working to ensure historic and lasting PEACE!” he wrote on X.
And long-time Trump ally Nancy Mace, a congresswoman from South Carolina, suggested turning “Gaza into Mar-A-Lago,” referring to Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
