Congressional GOP leaders are leaving the door open to President Donald Trump’s stunning proposal for the U.S. to “take over” Gaza and relocate its people.
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday called Trump’s idea a “bold, decisive move,” adding he believes it could stave off the risk of “another October 7,” calling it a matter of “common sense.”
After Trump floated his plan to take over the region and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” during a Tuesday evening joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the president was met with pushback from Democrats and intrigue from members of his own party.
While other top lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, expressed reservations about the idea of Americans taking over Gaza, Johnson took a more deferential tone to the president.
“There’s a lot to discuss,” the speaker said. “I’ve been a very close ally of [Netanyahu], and to be frank, for the last four years, I think I was probably the highest ranked member of the federal government who was unequivocally supporting Israel and the Prime Minister.”
“So we’ll have that discussion,” Johnson said of Trump’s proposal.
After touting himself as the highest-ranking member of the U.S. government who supported both Israel and Netanyahu, the speaker said of Trump: “I mean, he obviously is, has much more expertise on the issues than I do, but as I said earlier, we await further details on what investment looks like.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also didn’t balk at the idea, telling reporters that Trump is pushing for “a more peaceful and secure Middle East.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise indicated he’s waiting to review the full proposal.
One Republican lawmaker who requested anonymity to speak freely said it may be a tactic the president is employing to get a conversation started, telling the Daily Beast, “Trump is a creative thinker who sees things in a completely different light.”
The lawmaker suggested the plan could spark international players like Jordan and the United Nations into considering new approaches to bring peace to the Middle East region.
