| TRUMP: 'U.S. WILL TAKE OVER THE GAZA STRIP … WE’LL OWN IT': In an audacious, and some might say fanciful, proposal to bring peace to the Middle East, President Donald Trump last night suggested relocating the 1.8 million Palestinians from their homeland in the Gaza Strip to Jordan and Egypt, allowing the U.S. to take over the territory and develop it into a high-end Mediterranean resort that would attract new residents from around the globe. "I think you’ll make that into an international, unbelievable place. I think the potential and the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world, will be there," Trump said at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the two met at the White House. "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings," Trump said. "The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative. It’s right now a demolition site. They can live out their lives in peace and harmony instead of having to go back and do it again." "We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal," Trump said. "And I don’t want to be cute, I don’t want to be a wise guy, but the 'Riviera of the Middle East,' this could be something that could be so magnificent." 'WE’LL MAKE SURE SOMETHING REALLY SPECTACULAR IS DONE… WORLD CLASS': Despite the fact that both Egypt and Jordan have emphatically rejected the idea of absorbing Palestinians into their countries, Trump expressed confidence he could win them over. "I have a feeling that despite them saying no, I have a feeling that the king in Jordan and that the general president in Egypt will open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done," Trump said, insisting Palestinians would be better off in new housing that would be built just for them. "They instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety, and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony instead of having to go back." Trump said. "Gaza is a hellhole right now. It was before the bombing started, frankly. And we’re going to give people a chance to live in a beautiful community that’s safe and secure." "We’ll make sure that it’s done world-class. It’ll be wonderful for the people, Palestinians," Trump said. "We’ll make sure something really spectacular is done. They’re going to have peace. They’re not going to be shot at and killed and destroyed like this civilization of wonderful people has had to endure." NETANYAHU: TRUMP WILLING TO 'PUNCTURE CONVENTIONAL THINKING .. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX': As Trump outlined his stunning proposal to forcibly eject the Palestinians from their land and remake Gaza into an international zone in which the United States would have a "long-term ownership position," Netanyahu seemed almost giddy at the prospect. "I believe, Mr. President, that your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, thinking that has failed time and time and time again, your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas will help us achieve all these goals," Netanyahu said when it came to his turn to talk. "And I’ve seen you do this many times. You cut to the chase. You see things others refuse to see. You say things others refuse to say. And on after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads, and they say, 'You know, he’s right.'" "Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent in a really magnificent area that nobody would know," Trump said. "And I think this is an idea that’s gotten tremendous — and I’m talking about from the highest level of leadership — gotten tremendous praise. And if the United States can help to bring stability and peace in the Middle East, we’ll do that." TOM ROGAN OPINION: TRUMP ENDANGERS AMERICAN INTERESTS WITH GAZA OWNERSHIP PLAN Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie (@chriswtremo). Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due at the Pentagon at 3 p.m. to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. As part of his round of introductory calls, Hegseth spoke by phone last week with Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister. Hegseth reaffirmed the "unbreakable bond between the United States and Israel," according to a Pentagon readout of the call. "Secretary Hegseth emphasized that under President Trump’s leadership, the United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself and that Israel is a model ally for the region." 'THIS IS BETWEEN OFFENSIVE AND INSANE': Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill were aghast at President Trump's last territorial ambition, insisting that taking over the Gaza Strip is neither practical nor prudent. "You can report that I was speechless," Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) responded when asked by reporters for his reaction. "This is between offensive and insane and dangerous and foolish. I can’t think of a place on Earth that would welcome American troops less and where any positive outcome is less likely.” "Trump's proposal to push 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza and take 'ownership' by force if necessary is simply ethnic cleansing by another name," Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said in a statement. "This declaration will give ammunition to Iran and other adversaries while undermining our Arab partners in the region. It defies decades of bipartisan American support for a two-state solution – the only viable means to guaranteeing peace, stability, and security for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Congress must stand up to this dangerous and reckless scheme." Andrew Miller, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, issued the following comments after President Donald Trump said the United States should take ownership of Gaza to rebuild it while the Palestinians are resettled in other countries: "This is literally the most incomprehensible policy proposal I have ever heard from an American president. U.S. intervention would needlessly risk the lives of American soldiers and represent a security liability for the United States in a region where we are trying to reduce our presence," said Andrew Miller, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs. "It would also entail economic costs that would make the $40 billion foreign assistance budget that Trump and Elon Musk call a "waste" look like a rounding error. Of course, the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza would represent a war crime, exposing the United States to scrutiny by the International Criminal Court." IRAN 'CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON': President Trump yesterday signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum to restore maximum pressure in Iran, the details of which were released last night. The memo is aimed at "denying Iran all paths to a nuclear weapon and countering Iran's malign influence abroad." It directs the treasury secretary to impose maximum economic pressure and the Attorney General to "investigate, disrupt, and prosecute financial and logistical networks, operatives, or front groups inside the United States" and "prosecute leaders and members of Iranian-funded terrorist groups that have captured, harmed, or killed American citizens." "I really want to see peace. And I hope that we're able to do that," Trump said last night. "They cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple," he added. "I say this to Iran, who’s listening very intently. I would love to be able to make a great deal, a deal where you can get on with your lives and you’ll do wonderfully. You’ll do wonderfully incredible people, industrious, beautiful, just an unbelievable group of people in Iran, and I know them well," Trump said. "I have many friends from Iran and many friends that are Americans from Iran, and they’re very proud of Iran." But Trump said if Iran continues on a path to developing nuclear weapons, it could "end up in a very catastrophic situation." "I don’t want to see that happen," he said. "If I think that they will have a nuclear weapon, despite what I just said, I think that’s going to be very unfortunate for them. If, on the other hand, they can convince us that they won’t, and I hope they can, it’s very easy to do. It’s actually very easy to do. I think they’re going to have an unbelievable future." Trump also revealed that he's left instructions for an all-out attack on Iran should Iranian agents assassinate him. "If they did that, they would be obliterated. That’ll be the end. I’ve left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left." Technically, the president can't order an attack from the grave. That decision would have to be made by the new president. TRUMP WARNS IRAN WILL BE 'OBLITERATED' IF IT TRIES TO ASSASSINATE HIM UKRAINE READY TO TRADE 'RARE EARTH' ELEMENTS FOR SUPPORT: Ukraine seems to have devised a strategy to convince Trump to keep the military support flowing, offering to trade rare earth minerals — such as lithium, uranium, and titanium — in exchange. That kind of deal appeals to Trump's aversion to providing aid, and getting nothing tangible in return. "So we’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things," Trump said Monday while signing executive orders. "I want to have the security of rare earth. We’re putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earth, and I want security of the rare earth." "We’re telling Ukraine — they have very valuable rare earth. We want what we put up to go in terms of a guarantee …. We’re handing them money hand-over-fist. We’re giving them equipment," Trump said. "We want a guarantee." The idea actually came from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who reportedly suggested the tradeoff when he met with Trump before the November election. "We are open to having all of this developed with our partners — those who are helping us defend our land, pushing the enemy back with their weapons, their presence, and sanction packages. And this is absolutely fair," Zelensky said at a news conference Tuesday evening. ZELENSKY ADVISER DISMISSES TRUMP ENVOY'S SUGGESTIONS ON ENDING WAR FIRST DEPORTEES ARRIVE IN GITMO: About a dozen migrants, deported for being in the U.S. illegally, were flown from Ft. Bliss, Texas, yesterday to the migrant processing facility in Guantanamo, Cuba, the first flight as part of President Trump’s stepped-up deportation effort. The U.S. Southern Command says there are now some 300 additional U.S. troops supporting the illegal alien holding operations at Naval Station Guantanamo, including U.S. Marines from the 6th Marine Regiment. The final number of additional troops deployed to Guantanamo "will be scaled based on the requirements of the Department of Homeland Security, which is the lead federal agency." In addition, the U.S. flew Indian immigrants back to India on Monday, a U.S. official told the Associated Press. WHITE HOUSE SAYS MIGRANT FLIGHTS TO GUANTANAMO BAY HAVE BEGUN RUBIO: EL SALVADOR'S 'EXTRAORDINARY GESTURE': El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele is known for being tough on crime, symbolized by his country’s harsh prison system. Now, after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Bukele is offering to take hardened criminals off the hands of the United States, to help the Trump administration's mass deportation effort. "His commitment to accept and incarcerate criminals from any country, including from violent gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, will make America safer," Rubio said in a post on X after what he described as a "very productive meeting with the Salvadoran President." "In an extraordinary gesture never before extended by any country, President Bukele offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals, including U.S. citizens and legal residents," Rubio said. "We have offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system. We are willing to take in only convicted criminals (including convicted U.S. citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee," Bukele said in his post on X, which included pictures of prisoners jammed into the prison. "The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable." "We have hard, hardened criminals, horrible people. You see him pushing people into subways," Trump said at Tuesday’s executive order signing session. "The guy walking around. Just sees somebody waiting for the train. Trains coming 40 miles an hour, and he gets pushed into the subway. And that happens all the time. These are sick people. If we could get them out of our country, we have other countries that would take him." "It’s no different than a prison system, except it would be a lot less expensive. And it would be a great deterrent. Send him to other countries," Trump said, while acknowledging it might not be legal to send American citizens to foreign jails, especially in countries that have suspended human rights. "I don’t know. We’ll have to find that out legally. I’m just saying if we had the legal right to do it, I would do it in a heartbeat. I don’t know if we do or not. We’re looking at that right now. But we could make deals where we get these animals out of our country," Trump said. "It’s a very small fee compared to what we pay to private prisons." TRUMP BACKS JAILING US CRIMINAL 'ANIMALS' IN FOREIGN PRISONS THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Trump says the US will take ownership of the Gaza Strip with Israel's support Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: Trump endangers American interests with Gaza ownership plan Washington Examiner: White House says migrant flights to Guantanamo Bay have begun Washington Examiner: El Salvador agrees to accept deported criminals from any country in deal with US Washington Examiner: Trump backs jailing US criminal 'animals' in foreign prisons Washington Examiner: CIA offers buyouts to whole workforce as part of Trump plan: Report Washington Examiner: Number of federal employees opting for deferred resignations below White House's goals Washington Examiner: USAID will further 'national interest' after 'insubordination' is rooted out, White House says Washington Examiner: White House move to dismantle USAID sets off showdown with Democrats Washington Examiner: Rubio takes victory lap at Panama Canal after nation agrees to exit Chinese initiative Washington Examiner: Marco Rubio announced as acting administrator of USAID Washington Examiner: Zelensky adviser dismisses Trump envoy's suggestions on ending war Washington Examiner: EU must 'make itself respected' in face of Trump tariffs, European leaders say Washington Examiner: Trump ends Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 Venezuelans in US Washington Examiner: Immigrants arrested under Trump have been released back into US Washington Examiner: Hegseth warns cartels 'all options on the table' during southern border visit Washington Examiner: Senate confirms Pam Bondi as attorney general, installing Trump ally at top of DOJ Washington Examiner: Senate confirms Doug Collins to be VA secretary Washington Examiner: Congress pushes to classify fentanyl permanently as Schedule I narcotic Washington Examiner: Trump warns Iran will be 'obliterated' if it tries to assassinate him Bloomberg: F-35 Production Still Marred by Quality Woes, Pentagon Test Office Says Air & Space Forces Magazine: US Steps Up Intelligence Flights for Border Mission with RC-135 and P-8 Spy Planes Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air and Missile Defense for the US Is an Absolute Imperative Defense One: Marines Aim to Buy More Carrier-Based F-35s, Fewer VTOLs Defense News: Philippines Shores Up Defenses with Increased Military Spending SpaceNews: Former Pentagon Official Frank Calvelli Joins True Anomaly's Board of Directors 19fortyfive.com: Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carriers: Is The End Near? 19fortyfive.com: Ukraine: Give Us Nuclear Weapons and NATO Membership to End War 19fortyfive.com: Russia's Navy Is Crumbling—Now It's Facing a Crisis in the Mediterranean Breaking Defense: North Korea Welcomes Trump Back with 'Strategic' Cruise Missile Test: What's Next? Breaking Defense: How Trump's 'Iron Dome for America' Upends Four Decades of Nuclear Doctrine The Cipher Brief: Iran, the Nuclear Program, and Trump 2.0 The Cipher Brief: Which Tulsi Gabbard Would Lead the ODNI? The Cipher Brief: What the M23 Rebels Want in the Congo Conflict Air & Space Forces Magazine: One of the Last Original Tuskegee Airmen Dies at 100 THE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 5 10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing: “America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure.” http://transportation.house.gov 10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion with former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, with Peter Rough, director, Hudson Center on Europe and Eurasia https://www.hudson.org/events/conversation-former-president-ukraine 10 a.m. — FiscalNote and Oxford Analytica virtual discussion: “The Trumpification of Europe and the Consequences for EU Policy,” with Nicholas Redman, editor in chief and director of analysis at Oxford Analytica; Hartmut Mayer, senior lecturer at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; and Veronica Anghel, assistant professor at the European University Institute https://pages.fiscalnote.com/Trumpification-of-Europe.html 1:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Increased Economic Pressure Will Help the Trump Administration End Russia’s War Against Ukraine,” with former Undersecretary of State James Glassman; Charles King Mallory IV, senior international defense researcher at RAND; and Oleksandr Kalenkov, president, Ukrmetallurgprom Association of Kyiv https://www.hudson.org/events/increased-economic-pressure-will-help 8 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy and Justice virtual discussion: “America’s Continuing Anguish: Russia From Khrushchev to Putin,” with Marvin Kalb, professor emeritus at Harvard University and founder of Harvard University’s Shorenslein Center on the Media, Politics and Public Policy; and Warren Olney, former host and executive producer, podcast “To The Point” https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/blog/event THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 6 2:30 p.m. — Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies virtual discussion: “Rockets, Pagers, and Targeted Strikes: Law-of-War Issues in the Israeli-Hezbollah Conflict,” with Peter Berkowitz, senior fellow, Stanford University Hoover Institution and former director of policy planning staff at the State Department; Diane Desierto, professor of law and global affairs faculty director, Notre Dame Law School’s Global Human Rights Clinic; and Daniel West, managing director, SCF Partners https://fedsoc.org/events/rockets-pagers-and-targeted-strikes FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 7 11 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs book discussion: The Art of State Persuasion: China’s Strategic Use of Media in Interstate Disputes, with author Frances Wang, assistant professor of political science at Colgate University https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/book-launch-the-art-of-state-persuasion 11:15 a.m. — Center for European Policy Analysis briefing "How to Win: A Seven-Point Plan for Sustainable Peace in Ukraine," with former national security adviser retired Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster; and CEPA President and CEO Alina Polyakova. By invitation: [email protected] TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 11 8 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group breakfast: "Exclusive, Advance Preview of a Munich Security Conference Report on 'Unspoken Barriers to Innovation in Defense,'" with Matthew Schlueter, global head of defense and security, Boston Consulting Group By invitation, email: [email protected]. 10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities policies. http://oversight.house.gov 10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Committee hearing: “Preparing the Pipeline: Examining the State of America’s Cyber Workforce," with testimony from Robert Rashotte, vice president of Training Institute and Global Engagement, Fortinet; David Russomanno, executive vice president of academic affairs and provost, University of Memphis; Chris Jones, president and CEO, Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corp; and Max Stier, president and CEO, Partnership for Public Service http://homeland.house.gov THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 13 TBA Brussels, Belgium — NATO Defence Ministers meet for two days at NATO Headquarters in Brussels https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 14 All Day Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich, Germany — The 61st Munich Security Conference is held through Sunday https://securityconference.org/en/msc-2025/ | | | | "You cut to the chase. You see things others refuse to see. You say things others refuse to say. And on after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, 'You know, he's right.' And this is the kind of thinking that enabled us to bring the Abraham Accords. This is the kind of thinking that will reshape the Middle East and bring peace." | | Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, praising President Donald Trump for his "outside-the-box' thinking in proposing the U.S. takeover the Gaza Strip |
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Megyn Kelly -> Pete Hegseth responds to 2017 rape accusation. 🔥 vol. 3, issue 13 | December 6, 2024 Quick Hits All the news you need in...
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