NBC News’s Garrett Haake pressed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday over whether or not President Donald Trump committed on Tuesday night to nation-building in Gaza, a policy Trump has opposed his entire political career.
“On Gaza, the president has spent basically his entire public career criticizing foreign entanglements, nation building, sending American troops to fight abroad, particularly in the Middle East. This plan seems like it could ultimately involve all of those things. Can you explain this reversal and how building and owning Gaza squares with America First foreign policy?” Haake asked.
“I would reject the premise of your question that this forces the United States to be entangled in conflicts abroad. The president has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza. He has also said that the United States is not going to pay for the rebuilding of Gaza,” Leavitt replied, adding:
This administration is going to work with our partners in the region to reconstruct this region. Let me just take a step back here, because this is an out-of-the-box idea. That’s who President Trump is. That’s why the American people elected him. And his goal is lasting peace in the Middle East for all people in the region.And as I said in my opening remarks, we’ve had the same people pushing the same solutions to this problem for decades. And it’s been made very clear to the
president that the United States needs to be involved in this rebuilding effort to ensure stability in the region for all people. But that does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza.It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort. It means Donald Trump, who is the best dealmaker on the planet, is going to strike a deal with our partners in the region.
“He did not rule out American troops in Gaza last night. Are you doing that now?” Haake pressed.
“I am saying that the president has not committed to that just yet. He has not made that commitment. And you know that,” hit back Leavitt.
“And on the foreign partners, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, the Saudis have already panned this plan. What foreign partners, if any, have expressed any interest in being part of it?” added Haake.
“Well, the president has said he’s been socialing this idea for quite some time. He’s been thinking about this. He said in his remarks last night. This was not a decision or an announcement that he takes lightly. And the president has already spoken to the President al-Sisi. In fact, that was his first foreign leader call. He’s meeting with the King of Jordan, King Abdullah, next week. He spoke with the king of Bahrain. He spoke with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. And he has made it very clear, he’s been very vocal that he
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