Oliver Holmes and Paul Owen – The Guardian.co.uk Feb 26, 2025

Donald Trump is facing a backlash on his Truth Social platform after sharing an AI-created video of him sipping cocktails with a topless Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza, in a future imagining of the Palestinian territory devastated by Israel’s war.

The video presented a computer-generated vision of Trump’s property development plan for Gaza, under which he said he wants to “clean out” the population of about 2 million people. Named the “Riviera of the Middle East” plan, the proposal has been criticised as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.

Footage shows the strip transformed into a Dubai-style resort with skyscrapers and luxury yachts. Children play on the beach as money rains down and bearded bellydancers gyrate on the sand.

Trump, who says he wants the US to “own” Gaza, is presented as a revered icon in the footage. A boy walks along holding a golden balloon of the president’s head and a towering, dictator-style statue of Trump overlooks a city street.

Elon Musk, Trump’s billionaire backer, appears several times, eating flatbread and later dancing as dollar bills fall from the sky. Musk’s Tesla electric cars cruise through the glossy streets.

After the 78-year-old president shared the footage – which includes the caption “Gaza 2025 … what’s next?” – he faced a backlash on his social media platform.

One Truth Social user wrote: “I could not be a bigger supporter of President Trump but this particular video is in very poor taste. Very poor taste, indeed!” Another wrote: “I hate this. I love our president, but this is horrible.”

The video might have gone down particularly badly with Trump’s Christian supporters, with several comments referencing the idolatry of the golden statue, and others lamenting a scene showing Trump in a nightclub alone with a woman dressed as a bellydancer as a crowd looks on.

“Only one deserves the glory and the honor, Mr President,” wrote another user. “The statue is a symbol of the antichrist, please humble yourself to God. Jesus is king and only Him.” Other users described the video as “sick” and “filth”.

One account, with the name Kainoa P, wrote: “You’re doing great Mr President. But don’t let it get to your head. God put you in that position for His glory, not yours.”

It was not immediately clear who had made the video, although it had been shared online previously by other accounts unrelated to the White House. Trump shared it without comment.

What appeared to be AI-generated lyrics accompanied the images: “Donald’s coming to set you free, bringing the light for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear: Trump Gaza’s finally here.

“Trump Gaza’s shining bright, golden future, a brand new life. Feast and dance the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.”