7 unhinged things Donald Trump did on the day he announced insane Gaza occupation plan

OK, who had “Gaza becomes the 51st state” on their bingo card?

Donald Trump’s 16th day back in the Oval Office was dominated by a visit from Benjamin Netanyahu, which everyone expected to mean him going on about Gaza like it was a real estate opportunity again.

But nobody expected him to come out with a semi-detailed plan for American troops to invade Gaza, forcibly displacing the people who call it home and rebuilding it as a US-occupied “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Elsewhere there were more ructions in Elon Musk’s war on fairly sensible government spending and a nightmare for Americans who shop at Ali Express.

Here’s all the genuinely shocking things Trump did yesterday that you need to know about

1. Announced the US invasion and occupation of Gaza

Well, strictly speaking it is a two state solution.

It’s just that neither of those states is Palestine.

Since his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump has been openly musing about what could happen to Gaza, which he called a “phenomenal location.

“On the sea, the best weather, you know everything’s good,” he said on day one. “Beautiful things could be done with it. Fantastic things could be done with Gaza.”

And now we know what he was talking about.

During Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, he confirmed plans to have the US invade and take permanent control of the Gaza strip, relocating the 1.7 million Palestinian people who call it home to Jordan and/or Egypt.

Asked if Jordan and Egypt were up for this plan, he said: “They say they’re not going to accept, i think they will.”

As for Gaza itself, Trump wants to turn it into the “Riviera of the middle east”.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too, he said. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings… and create economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for people in the area. Do a real job, do something different. Just can’t go back, if you go back it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.”

At best, pursuing this plan – apparently the brainwave of his son-in-law Jared Kushner – could see the US wade into the most protracted dispute in global history, committing American troops to a long and bloody conflict with what’s left of Hamas and making enemies of surrounding nations.

At worst, it’s being described by some as ethnic cleansing couched in a real estate opportunity.

Could this finally be the step Trump takes that the UK wont stand for? Seems like it could be.

Asked about it at PMQs, Keir Starmer was pretty clear about the future of the Palestinian people: “They must be allowed to rebuild – and we should be with them in that rebuild, on the way to a two-state solution.”

2. Casually pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council

Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the US from involvement in the UN Human Rights Council (HRC).

The Council itself is made up of 47 of the 193 UN member states, elected to three-year terms by the other countries.

“I’ve always felt that the UN has tremendous potential. It’s not living up to that potential right now,” Trump said before signing the order. “It hasn’t for a long time.”

The withdrawal shouldn’t be a huge surprise, given he did it during his first term too – while the US was a sitting council member.

But given the role of the HRC is to condemn dictators who commit crimes against humanity and investigate war crimes and human rights violations – and the order was signed shortly before Trump announced the planned invasion of a country that is manifestly not his – the timing seemed somewhat troubling.

3. Cancelled Army cadet clubs

Former Fox News host and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth might have made himself a little less popular in West Point, the US’ famous military academy.

The Department of Defence has distributed a memo banning a dozen “affinity” social clubs.

According to Time Magazine, they include the Asian-Pacific Forum Club, which “promotes the general knowledge and application of knowledge about the Asian-Pacific region”; the Contemporary Cultural Affairs Seminar Club, which supported cadets “transitioning from civilian to cadet and cadet to officer” through “academic services, mentorship, professional development opportunities, and community outreach programs”; the Corbin Forum, which aimed to promote women’s leadership within the Army and the Japanese Forum Club, which described itself as a place for promoting “understanding and appreciation of Japanese culture and language.”

Other scrapped clubs include the Korean American Relations Seminar, the Latin Cultural Club – which had a sub-club for latin dancing, the Native American Heritage Forum and Spectrum, a social club that provided support to LGBTQ cadets, the West Point chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Society of Women Engineers.

4. Put all USAID staff on administrative leave from Friday

As we reported yesterday, Elon Musk has set his sights on dismantling USAID because a fraction of its funding goes to projects that promote diversity.

USAID uses America’s soft power, influence and – yes – cash to do things like countering Chinese influence around the world.

Or like funding Kurdish prison guards in Syria who were keeping more than 4,000 Islamic State fighters locked up – and guarding the many thousands of family members linked to IS in camps.

They also do boring stuff like feeding starving kids.

The latest is that all staff of the agency will be put on administrative leave from this Friday. It’s unclear whether contractors – who do most of the agency’s work overseas – are included in the order.

5. Stopped parcel deliveries from Hong Kong and China

The US Postal Service – which is still a nationalised service – announced last night that it would be suspending parcel deliveries from Hong Kong and China.

It did not explain why, but presumably it’s part of Trump’s burgeoning trade war with China.

So, bad news for Americans shopping for bargains on websites like Ali Express and Temu, who will have to stump up for more costly delivery services.

6. Got his Attorney General confirmed

Pam Bondi, the newly confirmed Attorney General, was asked during her confirmation hearings whether she would defend birthright citizenship.

Birthright citizenship, is enshrined in the 14th amendment to the Constitution, and would require a congressional supermajority to change – despite Trump’s claims to be able to set it aside with an executive order.

So will Ms Bondi defend it as the “law of the land?”

“I will study birthright citizenship,” she said.

Senator Alex Padilla, who asked the question, replied, astonished: “You’re being considered for Attorney General, and you still need to study the 14th Amendment to the Constitution? That is not…helping me have confidence in your ability to do this job.”

7. Gave this response to an Afghan journalist

A journalist from Afghanistan asked the President at the press conference with Netanyahu what his plan for the country was, and whether he would recognise the Taliban.

He replied, and I’m quoting his answer in full: “I have a little hard time understanding you…it’s a beautiful voice and a beautiful accent. The only problem is that I can’t understand a word you’re saying. I just say this, good luck. Live in peace.”