President Donald Trump has “not committed” to sending American troops to Gaza, after the president said Tuesday that the U.S. will “take over” the decimated territory, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
She also stressed that the U.S. will not pay for rebuilding in Gaza, recasting Trump’s earlier comments that suggested a widespread nation-building effort.
“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,” Leavitt said at Wednesday’s White House press briefing. “That does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. That does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort.”
She added that Trump is committed to “temporarily relocating those” who are still in Gaza.
“This is an out-of-the-box idea,” Leavitt said. “That’s who President Trump is. … His goal is lasting peace in the Middle East for all people in the region.”
When asked why the president hasn’t ruled out the idea of sending American troops, Leavitt said the president is “very good when he’s making deals and negotiating, not to rule out anything, because he wants to preserve that leverage in negotiations.”
On Wednesday, at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the U.S. will send American troops “if necessary,” which resulted in immediate backlash from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) slammed the comments on X, saying America has “no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood.”
