The President of the United States, Donald Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Screenshot from a video generated by artificial intelligence and shared by Donald Trump on his platform Truth Social, on Feb. 25, 2025.
BEIRUT — A controversial AI-generated video shared by U.S. President Donald Trump on his platform, Truth Social, on Wednesday has sparked outrage and condemnation, featuring Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, lounging by a luxurious pool, sipping cocktails in Gaza.
The video begins with devastated Gaza, ravaged by the war with Israel — collapsed buildings, streets buried under rubble, people scavenging for food and a child amongst others fleeing armed men. As people run, the scene shifts to idyllic beach landscapes — that of a turquoise sea resembling the idyllic beaches of the French Riviera, filled with sun loungers and umbrellas.
In the background, majestic skyscrapers reminiscent of Dubai rise above modern neighborhoods, while the streets are lined with lively restaurants, accompanied by music with lyrics praising Trump: "Donald's coming to set you free, bringing the life — all to see. No more tunnels, no more fear. Trump Gaza is finally here. Trump Gaza, shinning bright. Golden future, a brand new life. Feast and dance the deal is done. Trump Gaza number one."
Billionaire Elon Musk, closely associated with Trump since his return to the White House, also appears multiple times in the sequence: sitting on a beach, dining on a terrace, dancing and walking beneath a shower of dollar bills. The video also shows Trump in a bar with an oriental belly dancer, then sunbathing and sipping cocktails by a pool with Netanyahu.
Internet users' disgust
This post made headlines and sparked a wave of reactions within public opinion, with even Trump supporters lashing out. "This is just plain wrong!! This video is in very bad taste and just plain horrible!! ... This video makes me sick." says a Truth Social user.
Another considers it very “very insensitive to be released on a very sad day like today; the funeral for the beautiful Bibas family [mom and two children] who were killed in Gaza."
"You should remove this video and apologize to the Palestinians, as well as to people who love justice worldwide who have watched, powerless, this genocide for over a year. This land does not belong to you, it belongs to the Palestinian people!” protests a man.
Another comment condemns the video for “revealing Trump's true colors: self-satisfaction and self-glorification. We warned you, that's him. He doesn't care about others, only his interest matters, period.”
"This feels all wrong and actually makes me sick. I have supported you since Day 1 but this is filth. There is no God in this," another user wrote.
Similarly, on Musk's social media platform X, formerly Twitter, people were equally outraged with "Trump's AI video imagines 'Riviera' Gaza, sparks outrage," trending on the platform.
The video follows Trump’s earlier controversial proposal to expel the Palestinian population from Gaza and turn it into a U.S.-administered territory. He claimed that this would resolve the conflict between Hamas and Israel. He added that the expelled population could be sent to Jordan or Egypt. His proposal was rejected by both countries and was condemned internationally, with Amnesty International calling it "a form of 21st-century colonialism."