Recently, President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated video on his Truth Social platform that has sparked widespread attention and controversy. The 35-second clip presents a fantastical vision of a reimagined Gaza Strip, transforming the war-torn region into a luxurious, resort-style destination dubbed “Trump Gaza.” The video begins with scenes of Gaza’s current devastation—rubble and ruins—before transitioning with the caption “Gaza 2025: What’s Next?” into a vibrant, utopian landscape featuring gleaming skyscrapers, pristine beaches, and a bustling nightlife.
The video is filled with striking and surreal imagery: towering golden statues of Trump dominate the skyline, a child holds a golden balloon shaped like the president’s face, and a massive “Trump Gaza” hotel looms prominently. Elon Musk makes multiple appearances, eating hummus on the beach and later dancing as dollar bills rain down around him. Perhaps most bizarrely, the clip includes bearded belly dancers performing on the sand, alongside scenes of Trump dancing with a non-bearded belly dancer in a nightclub. The video culminates with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lounging shirtless by a pool, sipping cocktails under a “Trump Gaza” sign, all set to an upbeat song with lyrics like, “Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza is finally here.”
This vision ties into Trump’s earlier statements about wanting to “take over” Gaza and redevelop it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” a proposal he’s floated as part of ending the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. He has suggested relocating Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, a plan that has drawn sharp criticism from Arab leaders, Palestinian officials, and human rights groups, who have called it tantamount to ethnic cleansing. The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has killed over 48,000 Palestinians and displaced 1.9 million, according to various reports, alongside more than 1,200 Israeli deaths.
LThe video has ignited a firestorm of reactions. In the Arab world, it’s been met with outrage, with social media users decrying it as a narcissistic and insensitive fantasy amid Gaza’s suffering. One commenter from Jordan wrote, “Gaza will be your graveyard,” reflecting the deep anger toward the proposal. Meanwhile, in the U.S., reactions range from confusion to mockery. Critics on platforms like X have pointed out the irony of the “bearded belly dancers,” joking that “Trump Gaza looks pretty woke,” while others condemned the clip as a tasteless glorification of displacement. Even some of Trump’s supporters on Truth Social expressed discomfort, with one calling it “in very poor taste” and another warning that the golden statues evoke idolatry.
It’s unclear who created the video or whether Trump intended it as a serious policy pitch, a provocation, or simply a bizarre flex of his brand. The White House hasn’t commented officially, and analysts note that the logistical and diplomatic hurdles to such a plan are immense—let alone the ethical questions. For now, the “Trump Gaza” video stands as a vivid, polarizing artifact: a blend of futuristic fantasy, political bravado, and AI-driven absurdity that’s left people across the globe debating its meaning and implications.