President Donald Trump has shared an AI-generated video envisioning Gaza as a resort destination complete with a “Trump Gaza” hotel, prompting swift criticism.
The video, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform, depicts the war-torn area transforming into a beach holiday location. It includes a golden statue of the former president in the streets, a cameo from tech billionaire Elon Musk, and concludes with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relaxing by the pool at the fictional “Trump Gaza.”
The video’s release follows Trump’s February 4 suggestion that the United States could “take over” Gaza and resettle about 2 million Palestinians to create a “Riviera of the Middle East.” This proposal has drawn widespread condemnation, with the UN warning it would be “tantamount to ethnic cleansing,”
The video begins with scenes of people walking through rubble, accompanied by the caption, “Gaza 2025, what’s next.” It then transitions to a Dubai-style resort featuring the aforementioned golden statue of Trump, Musk eating bread, and the president dancing in a nightclub. The clip also includes bearded belly dancers and a child holding a gold-colored balloon of Trump’s head.
The video’s soundtrack features lyrics such as, “Donald Trump will set you free, bringing the life for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump’s Gaza is finally here,” and “Trump’s Gaza is shining bright, golden future, a brand new life.”
Author and political activist Shola Mos-Shogbamimu criticized the video on X, stating, “President of the United States posts video of him taking over Gaza with his statue for worship, dollars raining, Trump Gaza as centerpiece as he & Netanyahu chill at the beach. Ethnic cleansing rebranded as a real estate deal. Colonialist White Supremacist Zionism. Pure Evil.”
Independent Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt added, “Trump sees Gaza not as a home to millions of human beings, but as an empty plot of land for his next branding project. The lives of Palestinians mean nothing to him—they are simply an obstacle to be bulldozed over for casinos, golf courses, and beachfront resorts. Sick person.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, defended Trump’s proposal on February 5, claiming it was “meant as a very generous move, the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding of a place many parts of which right now, even if people move back, they would have nowhere to live safely, because there are still unexploded munitions and debris and rubble.”
In response to Trump’s comments, Egypt will host an emergency summit of Arab nations on March 4 to discuss plans to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing Palestinians.
