Donald Trump Claims to Have Been to Gaza Despite No Evidence of Visit

[C0RI0LANUS]

Source: The Guardian Newspaper

Donald Trump’s truthfulness as well as his knowledge of Middle East geography has come under fresh scrutiny after the former president claimed to have been to Gaza – although there is no evidence of him ever visiting the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Trump raised eyebrows after the Republican nominee in November’s presidential election told Hugh Hewitt, a rightwing radio host, that he had been in the tiny coastal strip where more than 41,000 people have been killed and the majority of buildings badly damaged or destroyed in blistering Israeli military attacks responding to last year’s 7 October attack by Hamas. The Hamas attack killed 1,200 about Israelis and took about 250 hostage.

Asked by Hewitt if Gaza could be transformed into Monaco if properly rebuilt, Trump replied:

“It could be better than Monaco. It has the best location in the Middle East, the best water, the best everything. It’s got, it is the best, I’ve said it for years.

“I’ve been there, and it’s rough. It’s a rough place … before all of the attacks and before the back and forth what’s happened over the last couple of years.”


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/08/trump-gaza-visit-claim

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REUTERS/Anas al-Shareef
Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strikes on houses in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip (31 Oct 2023).

Trump’s comments on Gaza’s potential echo those made by his son-in-law Jared Kushner – a former adviser and Middle East envoy during his presidency – who was criticized for describing waterfront property in the territory as “very valuable” and suggesting that Israel remove civilians while cleaning it up.

[tanyev]

1. He's been everywhere, man!

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Will any reporter ask him about it?

[maxsolomon]

3. He's been to Israel.

He may have seen Gaza from AF1.

Throw this lie on the pile with the 1,000s of others; he'll never be asked about it, any spokesperson he employs will never be asked about it.

Who could deny that Gaza is "rough"? No one would bother.

The "best water"? WTF. It has 1 tiny trickle of a creek: Wadi Gaza, and the sewage treatment plant is on it. Does he mean the best beaches?

Worst Person in America, hands down.

[C0RI0LANUS]

7. "Worst Person in America" should be a TV show. He''ll be the first season's winner.

[Dem2theMax]

9. As long as he's living here, he'll be the winner every season.

[former9thward]

8. Gaza does have beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean.

As does Tel Aviv and many other coastal cities in Israel. Very nice weather, mostly, year-round. I started to go to the region in the late 90s and I always thought Gaza had great potential for a tourist economy.

[LeftInTX]

15. But it doesn't have the infrastructure.

[former9thward]

17. Because of Hamas.

Gaza has received tens of billions in aid from the UN and Western countries including the U.S. Even Israel sends it tax money. What does Hamas do with it? Diverts it from infrastructure to weapons and building elaborate tunnels. The rest goes to keeping Hamas leadership comfortable in Qatar, Lebanon and Syria.

[durablend]

4. Next he'll be saying he personally spoke to God

[C0RI0LANUS]

6. Hah! So did Dubya! Person-to-person call, reverse the charges.

[C0RI0LANUS]

5. Perfect song for him! This will be his next claim.

"Darn! Wrong flag! Where's the Stars and Bars?"

[valleyrogue]

10. He is confusing Gaza with gauze, as in his "assassination attempt." n/t

[usonian]

11. Sure thing ( verified)

[twodogsbarking]

12. He thinks it's a golf course. Like where he buried his dead ex-wife.

[DallasNE]

13. If He Had Been There

There would be thousands of photos with his mug in them and with a backdrop of Gaza in every photo. No photos = not been there. Duh!

[LeftInTX]

14. BS to the max! I don't think Bibi has been there since Israel unoccupied it. (19 years ago)

[Aussie105]

16. He heard of Gaza.

He closed his eyes, and cogitated about being there.

Woke up, and thought it was real! (only to him though)

Ready to develop that water front, he is.
Can't wait for all the riff-raff to be cleared out, says he.

Enquiring minds want to know:
Will there be a Trump Tower in the reconstruction?

[orangecrush]

18. He's been to la la land

That's probably what he was thinking of

[Kid Berwyn]

19. Man of the Year Award, the Gazans gave him.

Just like the one he got in Michigan: ___ 0 ___.