Trump Whines About Israel Giving Up Prime Real Estate in Gaza

President Donald Trump on Monday once again showed his inability to think about geopolitics in terms of anything other than real estate, as he unveiled a shocking Gaza peace plan.

“Let us not forget how we got here,” he said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he touted the new proposed peace plan. “Hamas was elected by the Palestinian people. Israel withdrew from Gaza, thinking they would live in peace. Remember that? A long time ago, they withdrew.”

Trump was referring to Israel’s 2005 removal of its ground troops and settlements from the Gaza Strip (which, contrary to Trump’s telling, occurred before Hamas won legislative elections in 2006).

Israel’s withdrawal, Trump opined, had been a mistake, relinquishing prime real estate along the Mediterranean Sea: “They pulled away. They let them have it. And I never forgot that because I said, ‘That doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.’ As a real estate person, I mean, they gave up the ocean, right?” he said. “They gave up the ocean. I said, ‘Who would do this deal?’”

Notably, Israel did not “[give] up the ocean” in 2005, but retained control over Gaza’s shore, borders, and airspace. And after Hamas seized power in 2007, Israel imposed an indefinite land, sea, and air blockade that remains in place, restricting Gazans’ freedom of movement and access to natural resources.

But, per Trump’s telling Monday, Israel was “very generous” in giving up “the most magnificent piece of land, in many ways, in the Middle East.”

It’s not the first time the president has approached Gaza with this sociopathic lens. In July, Trump (after bizarrely implying he coined the term “the Gaza Strip”) called Israel’s 2005 withdrawal “one of the worst real estate deals ever made,” because Israel “gave up the oceanfront property.”

Israel and the U.S. are “beyond very close” to achieving a peace deal regarding Gaza, according to Donald Trump.

Delivering a slurred speech beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Monday, the U.S. president claimed it was a “historic day for peace” in the Middle East, underscoring that the two countries were on the cusp of brokering a deal to end Israel’s assault on the West Bank.

“At least we’re at a minimum very, very close, and I think we’re beyond very close,” Trump said.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu was very clear about his opposition to a Palestinian state,” he continued, “and I understand and respect his position on many things, but what he’s doing today is so good for Israel.”

The Trump administration’s plan proposed to end the conflict after Hamas returns the remaining Israeli hostages, living and dead. The militant Palestinian faction will have 72 hours to comply after Israel accepts the agreement, according to Trump.

The plan would additionally have Israeli forces slightly withdraw and exchange their own Palestinian hostages, including 250 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,700 Gazans who have been in Israeli detention since the war began nearly two years ago.

Trump’s breathless and rambling interpretation of the deal was contradicted by Netanyahu moments later, when the Israeli leader made it clear that he was already on board with the White House’s plan.

“I support your plan for ending the war in Gaza which achieved our war aims,” Netanyahu said.

It was not clear if Hamas agreed to the peace terms, but their consent is apparently not necessary. Trump said Monday that Israel has the “full backing” of the U.S. to defeat Hamas if it refuses the proposed arrangement.

President Donald Trump’s new plan to stop Israel’s mass slaughter of Palestinians involves handing himself total control of Gaza—and of course, some good, old-fashioned real estate development.

Ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, the White House released Trump’s plan to take over Gaza by creating an international “Board of Peace” to oversee its development and governance. The board will be chaired by one man: Trump.

The so-called Board of Peace would handle funding Gaza’s “redevelopment,” until the Palestinian Authority implements its own reform plan that satisfies Trump’s standards and “is conducive to attracting investment.” The board would also oversee a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” to govern Gaza, composed of “qualified Palestinians and international experts.” The board would likely retain broad discretion over its members.

It’s worth noting that while speaking in a joint press conference Monday, Netanyahu seemed to dismiss an agreement involving the Palestinian Authority. Still, he told Trump that he would “support” his plan.

Israel’s years-long military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 people, displaced nearly two million more amid widespread destruction, and sparked a deadly famine the Israeli government still claims is a hoax. The sweeping humanitarian catastrophe was bought and paid for by the U.S. government’s support of Israel. Now, Trump intends to stake a flag in the rubble.

Trump’s plan said Israel would not occupy Gaza, and that the U.S. would enlist other Arab nations to police the region. Rather than Gaza being occupied by the Israeli military, the plan pitched something called the “International Stability Force”: an international collaboration that would function as a “long-term internal security solution.” (If only a similar group of united nations already existed…)

“A panel of experts who have helped birth some of the thriving modern miracle cities in the Middle East” would create an economic plan to “rebuild and energize” Gaza, the plan stated. The plan also referred to investment and development pitches from “well-meaning international groups.”

The plan makes good on Trump’s promise to transform Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” While Trump’s original plan from February pitched a functional ethnic cleansing, now Palestinians would not be forced to leave. “Gaza will be redeveloped for the benefit of the people of Gaza, who have suffered more than enough,” the plan stated.

Senate Republicans have a glorified resort vacation scheduled just days after the looming government shutdown deadline.

Politico’s Playbook obtained an invitation for the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s fall “meeting” at the five-star Sea Island Resort in Sea Island, Georgia, October 3–5. Their schedule will include buffet meals, pickleball, golf, shooting, and lawn games—all as the fates of millions of Americans hang in the balance. Rates per night range from $495 to $599 per night, and the entire trip is paid for by the NRSC.

When asked by Playbook if Senate Republicans still plan to visit the resort if the government shuts down, which looks incredibly likely, an NRSC spokesperson refused to comment.

On Tuesday, September 30, Congress will either pass a destructive continuing resolution that will slash funding for health care and homeless shelters and increase spending on mass deportation and war—or shut down the government and give Trump an excuse to furlough or fire hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Pickleball really isn’t appropriate at a time like this.

The Democrats, for what it’s worth, aren’t innocent, either. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s “Napa Retreat” is scheduled for October 13–14, shortly after the Republicans’, and on what would be day 12 of a shutdown. And while there is still uncertainty about whether the government will remain open past September, the fact that our leaders already have their vacations planned either way does not inspire hope.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s $20 billion Argentinian bailout is not only poised to prop up President Javier Milei’s anarcho-capitalist regime with U.S. taxpayer dollars; it’s also set to deliver a significant windfall to one of Bessent’s old friends, per a Monday report by Judd Legum at Popular Information.

Robert Citrone, a billionaire who founded the hedge fund Discovery Capital Management, has a decadeslong relationship with Bessent that’s gone unreported in the U.S. press.

Legum cites descriptions in Latin American business publications of Bessent and Citrone’s friendship, including one paper that notes their “personal relationship as well as a past working relationship.” He also reports that when they were co-workers at Soros Fund Management, Citrone, by his own account, gave Bessent highly profitable investment advice.

Since Milei’s ascendance, Citrone has bet big on the Argentine economy. But amid the recent economic downturn under Milei, his Argentine investments were in trouble.

Enter Bessent. Last week, the treasury secretary announced a $20 billion currency swap line that, Citrone told Bloomberg, “has helped tremendously” and “will pay dividends for the U.S. strategically.” It’s certainly boosted Citrone’s holdings. (Notably too, Legum writes, “In early September, days before Bessent’s announcement, Citrone purchased more Argentine bonds.”)

This wasn’t the first time the U.S. treasury secretary has seemingly pleased Citrone by acting on Argentina’s behalf.

Legum, citing the financial publication CE Noticias Financieras, reports that Citrone lobbied Bessent to push for a bailout from the International Monetary Fund in April, as the country’s economic woes grew. Bessent then reportedly helped persuade the IMF to disburse $20 billion to Argentina, which still failed to stabilize its economy, thus setting the stage for America’s own $20 billion intervention.

Members of Donald Trump’s administration are scrambling to right their ship, after the president’s tariffs sent a major foreign trading partner into the arms of Argentina, which just received a massive bailout from the U.S. government.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was spotted at the United Nations General Assembly last week reading a panicked message from “BR,” who some have determined to be Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. The message linked to the X account of Ben Scholl, a midwestern grain trader who has sounded the alarm on Washington’s newly-tossed lifeline to Buenos Aires.

“Just a heads up. I am getting more intel, but this is highly unfortunate. We bailed out Argentina yesterday and in return, Argentina removed their export tariffs on grains, reducing their price to China at a time when we would normally be selling to China,” the message read.

“Soy prices are dropping further because of it. This gives China more leverage on us,” the message continued, with Rollins adding: “On a plane but scott I can call you when I land.”

The photograph, taken by photojournalist Angelina Katsanis for the Associated Press, has already circulated through Argentine news.

Last week, Bessent pledged that the United States was “ready to do what is needed within its mandate to support Argentina,” which was a “systemically important U.S. ally in Latin America.” He said that U.S. officials were in talks to establish a $20 billion swap line with Argentina’s Central Bank—an institution Argentine President Javier Milei once promised to abolish—and purchase secondary or primary government debt. Bessent even hinted at handouts from U.S. companies.

Scholl argued that this was a huge mistake. “China and Argentina work together for soybeans as Bessent offers to subsidize the Argentine economy,” Scholl wrote on X Tuesday. “They think you are stupid.”

China, the largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, has not purchased any American soybeans since May, pivoting to suppliers in Argentina and Brazil as Trump struggles to land an actual trade deal with Beijing. Even top Republicans have been forced to admit that Trump’s tariffs have created a squeeze for farmers, one that the president said could be offset with “millions” or “billions” of tariff revenue—he wasn’t actually sure.

“The U.S. trade war with China has dealt a huge blow to American soybean producers, since China paused soybean imports from the U.S.,” Rohit Chopra, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Board, wrote on X Monday. “But this may not be temporary, as Argentina and other countries cut deals with China to cut America out of the business.”

“The Treasury Secretary should: (1) Immediately hit pause on this inappropriate bailout of Argentina that is further harming American farmers (2) Affix a privacy screen to his iPhone, available online and in stores for roughly $10,” Chopra wrote in a separate post.

Oklahoma public school teachers are required to teach the Bible to their students—but the copies they received from the state earlier this month to do so don’t accurately reflect history.

Former state Superintendent Ryan Walters placed a 55,000 unit order for new Bibles in October, but the parameters he set for permissible editions were eyebrow-raisingly specific. Bid documents required the successful edition to include the King James text as well as several core elements of U.S. history lesson plans, including copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution. That narrowed the pool down to one option available on the market: Donald Trump and Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible.

Aaron Baker, a history and government teacher in Oklahoma City, received two copies of Trump’s edition to his classroom earlier this month. However, he quickly noticed that something was amiss: The version of the Constitution published between the book’s leather-bound folds was “wrong.”

The version of the Constitution delivered to Oklahoma’s classrooms for statewide instruction was 160 years out of date and excluded more than a dozen amendments.

Notably, the incorrect version still featured the three-fifths compromise, a vestige of slavery that handed more political power to slave-owning states, while omitting the Thirteenth Amendment, which officially abolished slavery. The incorrect edition also lacked the Fourteenth Amendment, which constitutionalized the right to due process and granted citizens equal protection under the law, shielding them from state action.

In addition, Trump’s Bible is missing the Nineteenth Amendment, which grants women the right to vote; the Twenty-Second Amendment, which limits the president to two terms in power; and the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18.

Altogether, Trump’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, as delivered to Oklahoma’s public schools, did not include Amendments 11 through 27. The text of the Bible itself appeared unchanged from the King James version.

The New Republic reached out to the publisher of the Bibles for an explanation as to why it chose a copy of the Constitution that hadn’t been used since the Civil War but did not receive a response. The publisher did, however, respond to Oklahoma’s local broadcast station KFOR-TV, informing the network that it had made the decision to “only include the original Founding Fathers’ documents, as Amendments 11-27 were added at later dates.”

“The Constitution is a living document,” Baker said on social media, condemning the book as revisionist history. “It is something that has grown and changed over the years, and the way we teach it, and the way we present it, must reflect that reality. It was created to be changed.”

Baker criticized the publisher’s rationale, likening the publication of an inaccurate version of the Constitution for mass instruction to feeding raw dough at a family dinner.

“As far as I’m concerned, that’s like your family asking for bread with dinner, but instead of baking rolls you bring raw dough to the table,” Baker said. “And they ask, ‘What is this?’ And you tell them, ‘Well, I wanted to give you the authentic experience of bread as it existed before I even baked it.’”

Walters resigned last week from his position atop Oklahoma’s Education Department to run Teacher Freedom Alliance, an initiative by the conservative think tank Freedom Foundation with a mission to end teachers’ unions across the country. Walters has previously accused Oklahoma’s teachers’ union of being a “terrorist organization,” and in an interview on Fox News Wednesday, said he wanted to “destroy the teachers’ unions” and “build an army of teachers to defeat the teachers’ unions once and for all.”

In his brief two-year tenure atop Oklahoma’s public school system, the MAGA politico also appointed Chaya Raichik—the woman behind the far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ social media account “Libs of TikTok”—to the Oklahoma state Department of Education’s Library Media Advisory Committee, handing Raichik the power to decide what children across the state are allowed to read. Prior to her appointment, Oklahoma was ranked fourth in the nation for the most banned books, according to a 2022 report by Pen America.

White House budget director Russell Vought reportedly fumed at spending cuts directed by former DOGE czar Elon Musk.

The New York Times reported Monday that Vought, a key architect of the Project 2025 playbook for Donald Trump’s second term, felt undercut by Musk’s brief efforts to make sweeping reforms, as Vought embarked on his plan to force a legal battle over Congress’s power of purse. Musk’s supposed cost-cutting initiatives were affecting programs Vought wanted to keep in place.

“We’re going to let DOGE break things, and we’ll pick up the pieces later,” Vought told his staff, three people told the Times.

Vought was reportedly outraged when Musk sent an email to federal employees prompting them to explain five accomplishments they’d made that week. Musk’s so-called “pulse-check” pissed off agency heads and irritated Vought, who believed the move had sidestepped personnel procedures and needlessly exposed the government to liability.

Vought was also furious that Musk had moved to eliminate the Department of Education’s data office, two people told the Times. Vought wanted to use information collected by the agency to undermine programs that benefit Black and brown students, as well as students with disabilities or poor backgrounds. Vought has previously called to abolish the agency entirely.

Vought’s spokesperson Rachel Cauley denied that he made these comments, but acknowledged that he felt annoyed by the billionaire bureaucrat.

Vought isn’t the only one in the White House who was irritated at Musk: The Tesla chief and the evidently ill-tempered Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly almost came to blows while arguing about the Internal Revenue Service.

Now that Musk has vacated the White House, Vought has been free to move ahead with his plan to set new legal precedent for Trump to block spending from policies and programs that he personally disagrees with, and dismantle the administrative state how he sees fit.

As the government funding deadline fast approaches, Vought has taken to openly trying to intimidate Congress. The White House Office of Management and Budget wrote Congress last week urging them to pass a short-term measure to keep the government open through November. If they fail to agree on a deal, Vought’s office has warned federal agencies to prepare for another round of mass firings, with a focus on eliminating positions where funding has been discontinued or that do not align with Trump’s agenda.

Meanwhile, Democrats are working to ensure tax credits from the Affordable Care Act that are set to expire at the end of this year. An estimated 5.1 million Americans will lose their insurance by 2034 if funding expires, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

President Trump has caused federal drug prosecutions to plummet as his administration prioritizes kidnapping immigrants off the streets. 

Reuters has reported that the Trump administration is prosecuting people for breaking federal drug laws at the lowest rate in over two decades. 

“We’re seeing a reduced amount of time on long-term investigations so agents can go out in their raid gear and be seen supporting immigration raids,” an anonymous senior Justice Department official told Reuters. 

While drug overdose deaths did drop during the Biden administration, drug trafficking itself hasn’t tailed off at all. In fact, it rose by six percent this year, while the number of people charged with drug trafficking fell by six percent, according to Reuters. Charges for “drug conspiracy” fell by 15 percent, and prosecutions for using illegal guns for drug trafficking fell by five percent.  

This has, in all likelihood, been caused by the Trump administration’s decision to prioritize arresting as many immigrants as possible. “You cannot conduct thorough, multi-agency drug investigations if you’re running around doing this other stuff,” said a former DEA official who oversaw the shift diverting agents to immigration enforcement. 

That, along with decisions like shutting down the Justice Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, has made it harder for officials at the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to do their jobs. Instead of investigating cartels, they’re whisked away to assist in immigration raids, even if they have no background or experience in them.

Trump and his Cabinet seem to think that Mexican and South American immigrants are the primary arbiters of drug trafficking. “[President Trump’s] highly successful efforts at closing the border and removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from our communities, along with prosecuting violent drug traffickers and targeting transnational cartels, means less illegal drugs are circulating in American communities,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in response to Reuters’s story.

But the numbers prove that’s simply not the case. It’s been clear from the very start that this administration is more concerned with the appearance of strength and success than actually being strong and successful. Echoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s depraved photo ops, ATF and DEA agents have been specifically directed to display their agency badges on their armor so that the White House can post them on social media. 

“A lot of good cases are just going stagnant for some photo-op bullshit,” said a former ATF agent. 

The ATF and DEA did not respond to Reuters’s questions about the priority shift.

Stephen Miller was apparently calling the shots in the Trump administration’s lethal military strikes on Venezuelan boats accused of drug smuggling. The White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser played a principal role in the operations, which were led by his homeland security council, The Guardian reported Monday.

According to three Guardian sources familiar with the matter, Miller’s influence over the strikes “at times” even “superseded” that of Marco Rubio, who is President Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser. This comes as Miller continues to consolidate power in the homeland security council.

Miller’s role, The Guardian notes, helps account for the shaky legal justification the administration has provided for the attacks: The Trump administration claims the president was using his authority under Article II of the Constitution, based on the notion that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is a foreign terrorist organization. This recalls Miller’s repeated assertions that TdA is “running Venezuela” in his argument for deporting Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act.

The revelation about Miller’s role also recalls reports that he mused about bombing unarmed immigrants in boats as an adviser in the first Trump administration.

Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official who resigned in Trump’s first term and became a vocal critic of the president, recounted an exchange between Miller and the then-commandant of the Coast Guard—which Miller vehemently denies—in his book Blowback.

Miller, according to Taylor, asked the commandant why the administration couldn’t “use a Predator drone to obliterate” boats “full of migrants” in international waters. The commandant replied that it would violate “international law,” but Miller was interested not in “the moral conflict of drone-bombing migrants,” but “whether anyone could stop America from doing it.” He told the commandant, per Taylor, “I don’t think you understand the limitations of international law.”