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It’s Wednesday. Beware of the ice storm that may be hitting the Washington, D.C., area this evening.
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Trump is jumping headfirst into the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- Even U.S. allies want nothing to do with Trump’s Gaza plan.
- Trump will sign a transgender sports ban his afternoon.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips & feedback to cmartel@thehill.com. Someone forward this to you? Sign up.
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President Trump set off a fireball in Middle East tensions Tuesday by floating the idea of the U.S. taking control of the Gaza Strip, rebuilding it and permanently resettling Palestinians elsewhere.
Let’s unpack this: Israel and Palestine have fought over this strip of land for many years. Roughly 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza and have hoped to be part of a future Palestinian state. The region has been nearly decimated since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, and most of Gaza is reduced to rubble.
Trump’s proposal catapults the U.S. into the longstanding conflict. For context, this is the most extreme rhetoric Trump has used regarding the disputed land.
So, what would happen to Gaza?: Trump said he envisions Gaza as an international hub — “the Riviera of the Middle East.” He did say he could see some Palestinians living there, though he mentioned earlier that Palestinians would be relocated.
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How Trump described his rationale: “This was not a decision made lightly. 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, nobody can look because all they see is death and destruction and rubble and demolished buildings falling all over.”
I can feel Greenland’s glare right now.
How did this come up?: Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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➤ WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION?:
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What do Arab nations think about this?: *nervous laugh* Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — as well as a senior Palestinian official — wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio blasting the idea. “Palestinians do not want to leave their land,” they wrote.
OK, well what do U.S. allies think of this plan?: *another nervous chuckle* U.S. allies immediately rejected the idea, arguing it would further inflame the Middle East conflict and could be a violation of international law. (The Washington Post)
Democrats referred to it as “ethnic cleansing”: Democratic lawmakers sharply rebuked Trump’s plan to take over Gaza. 🔎 Read some of their posts
Fox News host Steve Doocy isn’t taking this suggestion seriously: “I think this is just the tip … you know, this is the conversation starter because, obviously, the president knows when he says ‘we’ll take Gaza,’ he knows the United States can’t invade another country,” Doocy said on “Fox & Friends.”
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) had a notable response: “You can report that I was speechless,” he told NBC’s Frank Thorp. He then said: “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.” 📸 Check out Coons’s facial expression
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➤ HOW VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS ARE FRAMING THE NEWS:
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The New York Times: With Gaza Plan, an Unbound Trump Pushes an Improbable Idea
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The Wall Street Journal: Trump Campaigned on Ending Foreign Entanglements. Now He Wants to Own Gaza.
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Fox News: Trump stuns the world with proposal for Gaza: ‘Create an economic development’
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NBC News: ‘Deranged’ and ‘problematic’: Bipartisan group of lawmakers bashes Trump’s Gaza proposal
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Op-ed in The Hill: Trump’s call to ‘clean out’ Gaza is a direct threat to Palestinians
Axios: Trump’s wild Middle East vision
- The Atlantic: Nobody Wants Gaz-a-Lago
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Another block to Trump’s immigration order:
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“A federal judge Wednesday furthered a block of President Trump’s executive order preventing the children of migrants without legal status from receiving birthright citizenship,” reports The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld.
Reasoning: “U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman at the conclusion of a hearing in Greenbelt said Trump’s order ‘runs counter to our nation’s 250-year history of citizenship by birth’ and likely violates an 1898 Supreme Court decision on the issue.”
What happens now?: “Boardman’s ruling, unless overturned by an appeals court, will remain intact until she can issue a final ruling on the merits of the plaintiffs’ constitutional claims, which is likely to take months.”
Read more:
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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) offered buyouts to its entire staff Tuesday, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Why this is particularly newsy: “The CIA appeared to be the first intelligence agency to tell its employees that they can quit their jobs and receive about eight months of pay and benefits as part of Trump’s push to downsize the federal government.”
How is different from the offer that most federal employees received: “The offer last month made to most civilian federal agencies exempted some categories of federal workers, including those with national security roles.”
“Director [John] Ratcliffe is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the Administration’s national security priorities. These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the Agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position the CIA to deliver on its mission,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement obtained by The Hill.
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➤ SPEAKING OF THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE OFFER:
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To misquote Taylor: ‘I’ve seen this film before and ~we know~ the ending’:
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I feel like a broken record, but we’re nearing *yet another* government funding deadline on March 14.
Why does this keep happening?: It’s not just one bill — it’s a package of 12 bills to fund each part of the federal government. It’s a huge lift for lawmakers to agree on the details because of competing priorities and goals. Instead, lawmakers have been punting the deadline to buy more time. Right before Christmas, Congress came very close to a deal, but then-President-elect Trump torpedoed the bipartisan deal at the last minute.
Which brings us to March: Republicans now have control over the House, the Senate and the White House. But their incredibly tight margin means they will need bipartisan support.
The vibes on Capitol Hill are off: Congressional negotiators first must agree on a top-line number. That has not happened. Meanwhile, President Trump’s controversial directives to freeze funding have created a battle with Democrats.
The Hill’s Aris Folley and Mike Lillis report how shutdown fears are growing as Trump’s battles multiply.
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The Elon Musk-GOP tension is building:
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“Billionaire businessman Elon Musk is on a collision course with lawmakers on Capitol Hill who are starting to challenge his authority,” reports The Hill’s Alexander Bolton.
How so?: “Senate Republicans acknowledge they need to cut government spending, but Musk’s bold decision to lock federal workers out of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which Musk called ‘a ball of worms’ and a ‘criminal organization,’ caught them by surprise.”
“They are now questioning the basis of Musk’s authority to shutter an agency Congress funds annually through the appropriations bills for the State Department and foreign operations.”
Read more on how this could play out: ‘Musk shocks lawmakers, setting himself on collision course’
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🍫 A reason to celebrate: Today is National Chocolate Fondue Day!
🦫 What a pretty place to live: 📹 Check out this video of a beaver swimming in the Potomac River at sunrise.
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The House and Senate are in. President Trump and Vice President Vance are in Washington. (all times Eastern)
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- Today: Demonstrations are happening in multiple cities to protest Trump and the Project 2025 agenda. 🔎 Details
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1 p.m.: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
- 2:30 p.m.: Trump meets with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in the Oval Office.
- 3 p.m.: Trump signs an executive order banning transgender women from participating in women’s sports. 💻 Livestream
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4 p.m.: Trump meets with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in the Oval Office.
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I never want you to close this newsletter feeling down, so let’s end this on a happy note. Meet Kirby, the 4-week-old baby elephant at the Houston Zoo.
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