House Speaker Mike Johnson pledges to support Trump on Gaza
Top House Republican leadership is sharing early support for President Trump’s proposal that the United States “take over the Gaza strip” and relocate some 1.8 million Palestinians.
Trump’s comments came during a press conference Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and didn’t include specifics.
“We’ll own it,” Trump said of the Gaza Strip. “We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal … the Riviera of the Middle East.”
At a House GOP leadership press conference Wednesday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson called Trump’s proposal “a bold move – certainly far bolder than what’s been done before” and said “we’ll stand with the president on his initiative.”
“I think you have to do something to eradicate the threat to Israel. Here’s the problem. If you leave Gaza in its current form, there’s always a risk of another October seventh. There’s always a risk of proxies of Iran—all these terrorist organizations whose openly stated goal is to eliminate Israel as a state,” he said. “So it just makes sense to make the neighborhood there safer. I think that’s logical.”
Johnson added that details of the plan itself are forthcoming.
“Let’s withhold judgment on all of it. You’ll see more developments as they come,” he told reporters.
It’s a view shared by many Republicans, including South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman.
“What Trump is doing is exactly right,” Norman said after Republicans’ weekly party meeting.
Norman also noted the difference between an opening salvo from Trump and the eventual outcome. He compared the Gaza comments to Trump’s recent decision to put tariffs against Mexico and Canada on hold.
“Look at the tariffs – he throws a number out and then he brings them to the table. It’s this thing called leverage,” he said. “Everything is a negotiation.”
Others said they are still waiting on the specifics.
“I would have to learn a lot more,” said Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole of the topic of Gaza. “Certainly, we want to be helpful where we can, but the responsibility for rebuilding is going to lie mostly within the region, not with the American taxpayer. I’m always interested in what the president has to say but count me as reluctant to send a single American into Gaza.”
Strong public opposition to Trump’s Gaza comments among Republicans is scarce.
“I thought we voted for America First,” Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky posted on X. “We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers blood.”
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