Some Republican Senators Are Opposing Trump's Plans to Take 'Ownership' of The Gaza Strip

President Donald Trump's comments discussing plans for the U.S. to take "ownership" of the Gaza strip and redevelop it into "the Riviera of the Middle East" have been rejected by some members of his own party, including high-profile allies of his.

"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Trump said at an evening news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side. The president, who made his name as a New York real estate developer, added: "We'll make sure that it's done world-class. It'll be wonderful for the people— Palestinians, Palestinians mostly, we're talking about."

Some Republicans quickly questioned the logistics and whether that is a move American voters would approve of, according to NBC News.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a loyal Trump supporter, called the proposal "problematic," adding that he does not think his constituents would be excited about sending U.S. soldiers to Gaza. "We'll see what the Arab world says, but you know, that'd be problematic at many, many levels," Graham said.

Similarly, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) showed his disapproval of the plan, going a step further saying the president's plan is not realistic, as there are "a few kinks in that slinky."

"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," he said.

Republican Senator, Josh Hawley from Missouri, told the New York Times that he does not "think it's the best use of United States resources to spend a bunch of money in Gaza," adding that he would "prefer that to be spent in the United States first."

However, he suggested leaving the door open, saying "let's see what happens."

Democratic lawmakers in Congress expressed their opposition to Trump's comments. From Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a foreign Relations Committee member, to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Democrats were not shy to separate themselves from Trump's plans. The agreements among lawmakers come as Democrats were divided on the war throughout the 2024 election cycle.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of Congress, called the proposal "ethnic cleansing" on X.