Overview

The MAGA Strip, also known as Riviera of the Middle East Plan or Donald Trump's Gaza Strip Plan, is a controversial proposal announced by United States President Donald Trump in early February 2025 to relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to create a U.S.-controlled area that he envisioned as the "Riviera of the Middle East." The proposal drew widespread backlash and criticism online, as some netizens called it "The MAGA Strip plan" and posted memes referencing the concept.

Background

On February 4th, 2025, during a joint press conference^[1] with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, Trump suggested that the country should take ownership of Gaza and transform it into a livable area, reminiscent of a high-quality resort destination, calling it the "Riviera of the Middle East."

On February 5th, 2025, Sky News^[2] posted a video on YouTube^[2] explaining Trump's declaration, adding that the President "told reporters Palestinians could be resettled in neighboring Egypt and Jordan" and the U.S. could "'own' Gaza and 'develop it,' create thousands and thousands of jobs." The video (seen below) amassed more than 305,000 views and 3,200 likes in a day.

This marked a significant shift in U.S. policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, departing from decades of support for a two-state solution.^[7] Trump’s remarks have been met with fierce backlash from multiple nations, human rights advocates and U.S. public opinion, though many of his supporters expressed positive reactions to the idea.^[8]

Also on February 5th, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed Trump’s proposal for the United States to “take over” Gaza in an exclusive Fox News^[3] interview, saying, “This is the first good idea that I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued, and done because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”

Fox News posted the full interview on its YouTube channel (seen below), which garnered roughly 74,000 views and 2,900 likes in a day.

Online Reactions

President Trump's Gaza proposal quickly sparked outrage and debate on social media platforms. On February 4th, 2025, the creator of the gimmick account Libs of TikTok, Chaya Raichik, tweeted^[4] about the plan, writing, "CALL IT THE MAGA STRIP," which gained over 120,000 views and 5,500 likes in two days (seen below).

On February 5th, 2025, TikTok^[5] user @trumpizzaloser posted a clip of The Office comedy series to mock Trump's Gaza plan (seen below), which amassed roughly 801,000 plays and 109,000 likes in a day.

Redditors also debated Trump's Gaza plan, sharing memes and jokes either supporting the idea or criticizing it. For instance, on February 5th, 2025, Redditor^[6] u/Expert_Camel5619 posted a version of the Drakeposting meme to the /r/ConservativeMemes subreddit, referencing the "MAGA Strip" (seen below), which received more than 260 upvotes and 10 comments in a day.

Search Interest

External References