Introducing the MAGA-za Strip

President Donald Trump warned Hamas that there would be “hell to pay” when he returned to the White House if the terrorist organization continued to hold the hostages that it and Gazans have held for almost 500 days. Around eighty hostages, living and murdered, remain in Gaza.

Last night, Trump laid out what “hell to pay” could look like: a potential American takeover of the Gaza Strip, maximum pressure against Iran and arms shipments to Israel.

Trump, who famously compared the Arab-Israeli conflict to a “real-estate deal” in 2015, proposed a radical reshifting of the entire region, alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the first foreign leader he’s hosted in person in the White House in his second term.

While the specifics of a “MAGA Strip” in Gaza are unclear, Trump floated several possible ways to make such a “Riviera”-style living possible, namely the leveling of Gaza and having neighboring nations resettle the self-proclaimed “refugees” who have lived there; these countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, have steadfastly refused to accept Gazans thus far, so the feasibility is up in the air.

Almost all of Trump’s announcements occurred while most in the Middle East were asleep. In Israel specifically, the ideas were greeted with outright jubilation; polls consistently show that Israelis of all stripes have decisively turned against any potential two-state solution following the October 7 massacre. For their part, polling shows that large pluralities, if not outright majorities, of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank (which could be renamed as Judea and Samaria if Senator Tom Cotton and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney get their way) support Hamas. 

Netanyahu reiterated that Trump is the greatest ally Israel has ever had, and even gave him a gold-plated pager, in reference to Israel’s own remaking of the Middle East via its elimination of dozens of Hezbollah members in what some brand “Operation Grim Beeper.”

-Matthew Foldi

On our radar

MADE IN CHINA The US Postal Service announced it will no longer be accepting parcels from China and Hong Kong as President Trump’s tariffs take effect. 

PRESIDENTIAL PRAISE Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end who will be playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday, said it will be “an honor” to have President Donald Trump present at the big game.

PUTIN TUCKER DOWN Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, appeared on Piers Morgan’s show, where he delivered a message to Tucker Carlson, telling him to “stop working for Putin, stop licking his ass.”

See ya to the CIA?

The Central Intelligence Agency has offered buyouts to all its employees, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Under the direction of CIA director John Ratcliffe, the buyouts include approximately eight months of pay with benefits to streamline the new administration’s initiatives.

This action is part of a broader initiative to reduce the size and scope of the federal bureaucracy. Steps have already included hiring freezes, a return-to-work mandate and cross-agency buyouts. The New York Post reported that the Trump administration expects between 5 and 10 percent of federal personnel to accept these offers, potentially saving US taxpayers close to $100 billion.

President Trump also took action to cut back on US involvement in the United Nations. Trump signed an Executive Order last night to commence a review of US involvement and funding in certain UN organizations. This action will require his administration to examine all ties with different UN organizations and treaties to determine which could be adjusted to align with US interests and which should be cut off entirely.

One organization mentioned directly in the executive order was the United Nations Human Rights Council, which was accused of protecting “human rights abusers by allowing them to use the organization to shield themselves from scrutiny.”

After signing the order, Trump said, “The potential of the United Nations is fantastic — if properly run, so we’ll see what happens.”

–Derek VanBuskirk

More Trump cabinet picks confirmed

President Donald Trump’s nominations of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard — to serve as the country’s top health official and director of national intelligence, respectively — are closer to confirmation following two committee votes Tuesday. Both votes were along party lines, with each expecting full Senate votes as early as this week. 

The prospects to secure the confirmation of each appeared slim weeks prior, but with key Republican swing votes announcing their support, their paths are clearer.

With a 55-44 vote, including the support of Democratic senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Peter Welch of Vermont, the Senate confirmed Scott Turner to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development today. Following the vote, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky fell down the Senate’s stairs. It remains to be seen whether he was injured, but Fox News reports that he is OK.

The Senate also voted 53-47, along party lines, to limit debate on Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget today. A final vote is expected this week. Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, said yesterday that he’s looking at next week for a final committee vote on Kash Patel’s nomination to lead the FBI. As for attorney general Pam Bondi, she was sworn in today, hours after a 54-46 Senate vote, with Senator Fetterman again distinguishing himself from his Democratic colleagues.

–Juan P. Villasmil