Kaitlan Collins didn’t shy away from another showdown with President Trump as he revealed plans to ‘take over’ the demolished Gaza Strip.
The 47th President boldly claimed the US will ‘take over’ the war-torn Palestinian territory during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, prompting a barrage of questions from the newly appointed CNN White House Correspondent.
‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,’ Trump, 78, said during the conference.
The billionaire businessman’s head-turning statement is the latest evolution in his plan for rebuilding the territory devastated by Israeli bombardment.
‘We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings.
‘Level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,’ he added.
Collins quickly responded to the President’s claim, questioning his plans for the millions of displaced Gazans.
‘Where exactly are you suggesting that they should go?’ Collins probed the top-ranking politician.
‘And two, are you saying they should return after it’s rebuilt? And if not, who do you envision living there?’ she added.
Trump continued on discussing his monumental plans for the demolished territory, claiming ‘the potential is unbelievable.’
‘I envision a world, people living there, the world’s people. I think you’ll make that into an international, unbelievable place. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world will be there…’ he said, before Collins interrupted muttering an inaudible question about Palestinians.
The 78-year-old politician insisted that Palestinians will have a place in the ‘phenomenal’ land Trump has envisioned for the Middle Eastern territory.
‘Palestinians also. Palestinians will live there. Many people will live there,’ he said.
Trump, who is currently serving his second term as the President of the United States, continued on discussing his plans for the dismantled region while discrediting the current efforts.
‘They’ve tried the other and they’ve tried it for decades and decades and decades. It’s not gonna work. It didn’t work. It will never work. And you have to learn from history. History has, you know, you just can’t let it keep repeating itself,’ he said.
‘We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don’t wanna be cute. I don’t wanna be a wise guy. But the Riviera of the Middle East, this could be something that could be, so.’
Collins, once again, interrupted the President’s hopeful tangent asking: ‘But where are people supposed to go in the meantime, Mr. President?’
Trump continued speaking, appearing to disregard Collins’ question.
‘But more importantly than that is the people that have been absolutely destroyed that live there now can live in peace in a much better situation because they’re living in hell,’ he continued.
The President urged that the entire undertaking will be done ‘world-class.’
‘And those people will now be able to live in peace. We’ll make sure that it’s done world-class. It’ll be wonderful for the people,’ Trump said before Collins’ interrupted, again.
‘But where do you want them to go in the meantime?’ she quipped.
Unfazed, Trump finished his statement, seemingly trying to come up with names of Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, but appeared unable to do so.
‘ […] and I have a feeling that despite them saying no, I have a feeling that the king in Jordan and that the general president, but that the general in Egypt will open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done and people can live in harmony and in peace. Thank you all very much,’ he concluded.
Trump has long talked up Gaza’s coastal location and pleasant climate as a perfect holiday vacation.
In his vision, announced Tuesday, US reconstruction would create thousands of jobs and spare Palestinians the pain and expense of rebuilding once again.
When another reporter asked if his lofty plans might involve military force, Trump answered: ‘If it’s necessary.’
He claimed his plans were based on humanitarian ideals and backing at the highest levels.
The heated back-and-forth between Collins and Trump comes just days after the long-time journalist sparked a fiery exchange with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, accusing Trump of carelessly breaking the law.
Collins grilled Leavitt about Trump’s controversial purge in firing 17 inspectors general during a press conference at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on January 28 – while accusing the White House of ignoring the law.
The CNN host pointedly asked Leavitt how the administration is ‘deciding which laws to follow and which ones to ignore?’
Leavitt, in her first press conference as the youngest White House press secretary in history at age 27, argued that Trump had the power and authority to fire whoever he wants as president.
‘He is the executive of the executive branch and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to,’ Leavitt said in defense.
The White House failed to publicly announce the bloodbath or provide any explanation for why those officials – who act as watchdogs on federal departments us of taxpayer money – were abruptly let go.
The move sparked criticism from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers who believe the president may have broken a federal law requiring Congress to be given a 30-day notice of such firings.
Collins fired off these concerns to Leavitt at the press conference, reiterating the administration’s failure to notify Congress within the legal time frame.
‘I think only two were left at the DHS and the DOJ, and yesterday we saw several prosecutors were fired from the Justice Department, who worked on the investigations into the president,’ Collins said.
‘As you know, they are career prosecutors, therefore they are afforded civil service protections,’ she added.
‘How is the administration deciding which laws to follow and which ones to ignore?’
Leavitt snapped back, arguing that it is the ‘belief of the White House and the White House counsel’s office that the president was within his executive authority to do that.’
‘He is the executive of the executive branch and therefore he has the power to fire anywhere within the executive branch that he wishes to,’ Leavitt responded.
