Criticism and concern spread across both sides of the aisle Tuesday night after President Donald Trump announced that the United States “will take over the Gaza Strip.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the proposal “problematic,” adding that he does not think his constituents would be excited about sending U.S. soldiers to take control of Gaza.

“We’ll see what the Arab world says, but you know, that’d be problematic at many, many levels,” Graham said.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., slammed the proposal as “deranged” and “nuts,” calling U.S. military presence in the region “a magnet for trouble.”

“I don’t know where this came from, but I can tell you ... that would not get many expressions of support from Democrats or Republicans up here,” said Kaine, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said there were “a few kinks in that slinky.”

Asked to elaborate, he said: "Obviously it's not going to happen. I don’t know under what circumstance it would make sense even, even for Israel. Now, if Israel is asking for the United States to come in and provide some assistance to ensure that Hamas can never do again what they did, I’m in. But us taking over seems like a bit of a stretch.”

Trump announced his proposal after a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. He said the United States intends to take “long-term ownership” of the war-torn Gaza Strip, after having said earlier that Palestinians had no choice and would not “want” to return to the area following the Israel-Hamas war.

“We’ll own it. We’re going to take over that piece, develop it and create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it will be something the entire Middle East can be proud of,” Trump said of Gaza, adding that he envisioned many people “also Palestinians,” living in the area and said it could become “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Netanyahu called the move something that could “change history” and said it was a “worthwhile” proposal that should be explored.

Upon hearing of Trump's remarks, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., clutched his face in shock, saying he was at a loss for words.

 

“You can report that I was speechless,” said Coons, a Foreign Relations Committee member. “That’s insane. I can’t think of a place on Earth that would welcome American troops less and where any positive outcome is less likely.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said the proposal failed to address Palestinians’ concerns. Asked whether it was something the United States could handle safely, she said: “I don’t think it’s something that’s in America’s best interest.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American member of Congress, was blunter.

She called the proposal “ethnic cleansing” and “fanatical bull---" on X.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night on lawmaker reactions.

Some congressional Republicans voiced their support for Trump's remarks.

Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Richard Hudson, R-N.C., both members of the House Republican Israel Caucus, were among those supporting the proposal.

“President Trump will never stop working to ensure historic and lasting PEACE!” Hudson wrote on X.

“Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-A-Lago,” Mace said in her post.

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Graham says Trump’s plan to take control of Gaza strip could be ‘problematic’

President Donald Trump’s plan to take control of the Gaza strip is drawing skepticism across the aisle, including from some of his closest congressional allies.

Trump put forward the idea during a joint press conference on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He suggested that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside of the territory and proposed the U.S. take “ownership” in redeveloping the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump said. “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, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs.”

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) labeled the proposal as “problematic,” adding that he thinks South Carolinians are “probably not excited” about sending American troops to aid in the effort – a possibility not ruled out by the president.

“We’ll see what our Arab friends say about that,” Graham said.

The South Carolina Republican has been working to help secure a deal that would include Saudi normalization with Israel, a step toward improving relations between Israel and its neighbors.

The proposed agreement extends the work done by Trump during his first term to bolster diplomatic relations in the Middle East. The effort, known as the Abraham Accords, saw Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel’s sovereignty in 2020.

Prior to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, a deal seemed within reach. Then war broke out and halted those talks. Though the talks have resumed, the path forward has become even more complicated.

The Saudis have asserted that the kingdom would not normalize relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible path to a Palestinian state. That’s a nonstarter for Israel’s government.

Officials reaffirmed their position in a sharply worded statement Tuesday, noting that its call for an independent Palestinian state was “first, steadfast, and unwavering.”

“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia also stresses what it had previously announced regarding its absolute rejection of infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, annexation of Palestinian lands or efforts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” the statement said.

Trump’s comments came amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, during which the militant group has been turning over hostages in exchange for the release of prisoners held by Israel.

Egypt, Jordan and other American allies in the Middle East have already rejected the idea of relocating more than 2 million Palestinians from Gaza elsewhere in the region.

In the U.S., Democrats also bashed Trump’s idea, with Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware calling his comments “offensive and insane and dangerous and foolish.”

But while some U.S. lawmakers have swiftly rebuked Trump’s plan, others have embraced it.

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