Latest news with #TrumpGaza
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First Post
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Trump says Gaza should be 'taken' by US and turned into a 'freedom zone'
This is not the first time Trump has made territorial claims on Gaza. Earlier this year, the Republican leader suggested that he could 'own' Gaza and resettle its population, a plan that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with at the time read more US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that his country wants to 'take' Gaza and 'turn it into a freedom zone', as the war continues to rage in the Palestinian territory. The US president made the comments during his visit to Qatar, where he said, 'I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone. I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is not the first time Trump has made territorial claims on Gaza. Earlier this year, the Republican leader suggested that he could 'own' Gaza and resettle its population, a plan that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with at the time. More from World How much will it cost to convert Trump's luxury jet gift from Qatar to Air Force One? The US president even went to the extent of sharing an AI-generated video where he created a utopian world for Gaza, calling it 'Trump Gaza' . The video showed beaches, giant golden statues of Trump, and malls selling golden miniatures of Trump, amid dancers performing with Trump. The video starts with a view of Gaza devastated in the Israel-Hamas War, and then shows skyscrapers. In the background, a rap song plays: 'Donald Trump will set you free, bringing the life for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fears, Trump Gaza is finally here. Trump Gaza shines bright, golden future and a brand new light, feast and dance when the deal is done, Trump Gaza number one.' The video also featured Elon Musk and Netanyahu enjoying food and the beach with Trump. This was just posted on President Trump's Truth Social account. — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 26, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, on the war front, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes and artillery shelling on Thursday killed at least 50 people in the war-battered Palestinian territory. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said at least 13 people were 'recovered from rubble' after a dawn strike in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, while another 35 were killed in 12 separate strikes across the Gaza Strip. Bassal added that in southern Gaza, one woman was killed in artillery shelling, and one man by gunfire. The Israeli government approved plans to expand the offensive earlier this month, and spoke of the 'conquest' of Gaza. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34, the military says, are dead. With inputs from agencies
Observer
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Observer
A political pantomime on the global stage
While we appreciate the democratisation of the Internet and the freedom to use social platforms, we recognise that not everyone is equipped to benefit from such openness. Free expression is debatable, especially when it is offensive or disrespectful. For that reason, anyone could be classified as having a low level of mental cognition. Two of the most bizarre uses of artificial intelligence as political satire came from US President Donald Trump, who attested to symptoms of pathological megalomania, or informally, someone with a psychological disorder characterised by delusions of grandeur and an obsession with power. Social media allows users to express their personalities in unique ways. We reached rock bottom with a joke that went too far with Trump's papal aspirations. Just days after Pope Francis' death, we witnessed a diplomatic pantomime in which the President of the United States dressed up as the Pope utilising technology. Trump used an unsmiling image of himself seated in an ornate chair, clad in white papal vestments and a headdress, with his right forefinger raised. Less than a week after attending Pope Francis' burial, he shared the artificially created photo on his Truth Social platform. The White House reposted it to its official X account. The president of the United States has yet to express regret to the more than two million Catholics worldwide. When the president of one of the world's most powerful countries uses social media to mock faith and culture, believing he is powerful enough to ridicule the utmost solemnity for Catholics, it highlights that something is wrong - not with artificial intelligence or technology, but with the user's immature attitude. Choosing to act like a clown on the global stage, insulting institutions and offending believers, the President of the United States shows a lack of statesmanship, disrespectful behaviour and boundless arrogance. It is not the first time Donald Trump, voluntarily or not, raised concerns about the use of artificial intelligence. A 'Trump Gaza' AI-generated video depicting the Gaza Strip as a Dubai-style paradise emerged in February shortly after the US president unveiled his property development plan for Gaza. The video depicts a family emerging from the wreckage of war-torn Gaza into a beachside resort. Trump's bizarre posts raise questions about the misuse of technology, either in shaping public perception, to amuse, or to entertain and offend. It is a blur between satire and political communication strategy. People can look at Trump's bold acts as amusing or controversial, as an act of audacity, or as a provocative act of disrespect. The ramifications of such actions extend to moral principles, technology and mental health. Social media is a double-edged sword. Just as fire can illuminate and warm, in the same way it can kill and destroy. Studies highlight that when users engage with toxic content, their behaviour is influenced less by technological features and more by their predisposition. The power of AI technologies in creating lifelike images can have implications not only for political communication but also for societal impact. The use and misuse of AI can stir emotions and divide public opinion. It can generate realistic yet fictional narratives, and public figures must navigate conflicting expectations from their audiences. AI's ability to generate content, such as images and text, presents potential for innovation, opportunities and challenges. However, it also opens the door to misuse. The proliferation of generative AI misuse highlights the increasing importance of critical media literacy. Responsible social media and AI use at the individual level is important. Individual character and actions shape sociotechnical dynamics. Regardless of legal requirements, there is a moral obligation to consider one's online behaviour and to pay attention to sociocultural characteristics. Sonia Ambrosio The writer is journalist, academic and researcher in media studies
The Journal
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Trump's endorsed candidate for pope disagrees with AI-generated post of US president as pontiff
AMERICAN CARDINAL TIMOTHY Dolan said that US President Donald Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope 'wasn't good'. 'I hope he didn't have anything to do with that,' the New York cardinal told reporters. Yesterday, Trump posted the image of himself donning pope regalia, including a gold cross hanging from around his neck and a tall papal hat, on his social media platform Truth Social. The image was unaccompanied by a caption or explanation. Later, the image was shared to the White House's official X account, also without a caption. Responding to general questions before Mass at his titular church this morning in Rome, Cardinal Dolan spoke about President Trump's post on social media dressed as a pope. @thegnewsroom — Mary Shovlain (@maryshovlain) May 4, 2025 A large amount of people have spoken out to condemn the image as 'disrespectful', with groups such as Republicans Against Trump, the New York State Catholic Conference, as well as Catholics across American and the rest of the world taking to social media to point out that they found it was in poor taste. Advertisement Trump has often utilised AI on his social media. In March, he posted an AI-generated video of 'Trump Gaza' to his Truth Social page. The video depicted the war-torn Gaza Strip as a resort location similar to Dubai, and showed Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drinking cocktails on sun loungers. The creator of the video, who is said to have made it independently, said that it was a piece of political satire – although Trump did not provide any details when he posted it to his own platform. Pope Francis died on 21 April at the age of 88. When Trump was asked who he would like to see succeed the late pontiff, he joked, 'I'd like to be pope. That would be my number one choice… No, I don't know, I have no preference.' He then said in a reference to New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan: 'We have a Cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good, so we'll see what happens.' I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has… — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 29, 2025 US Senator Lindsay Graham urged people to 'keep an open mind about this possibility' that Trump may take on the role of the pontiff – although it is not a possibility, as Trump is not a baptised Catholic. National Catholic Register also jokingly claimed that Trump would be ineligible because any candidate, according to Canon Law, 'must be of sound mind'. The conclave to elect the new pope will begin on 7 May. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Star
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Star
Donald Trump 'shows he's living in alternate reality' with seriously awkward tweet
Earlier this year, president Donald Trump shocked many when he touted radical ambitions to "clean out" the Gaza Strip and spoke of a Trump-branded makeover for the war-torn territory Against a background of Israel's brutal crackdown on the Palestinian people , Trump declared: "The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too, We'll own it." In response, filmmaker Solo Avital created an AI-powered spoof video showing a gaudy vision of Trump's Gaza. But, bafflingly, Trump himself uploaded the video to his own personal social network, Truth Social profile. A former Pentagon advisor said Trump's response to the video was evidence of the 78-year-old president living in a state of "alternate reality." Trump has redecorated the White House with extensive gold accents (Image: (Image: Getty)) Speaking on the Channel 4 documentary, 'Trump Revolution: 100 Days That Changed the World', former Pentagon consultant Jasmine El Gamal, described how the clip was packed with offensive details: "You had a Trump tower in Gaza, everything was gold, you had Netanyahu and Trump sipping cocktails by the pool – it shocked a lot of people." Jasmine, who was a Pentagon Middle East Advisor during the Obama administration, said that the creator of the video could never have seen Trump's endorsement coming: "To their surprise and shock, Donald Trump shared it." The tacky video apparently appealed to Trump's vanity Jasmine explained: "I think it just goes back to this alternate reality that I think that he and his team are living in, where you can't even see when someone is mocking an idea of yours." Solo Avital, the creator of the viral video, also expressed his astonishment to the Guardian when he discovered that Trump had shared his clip. "We are storytellers, we're not provocateurs," he clarified, adding: "We sometimes do satire pieces such as this one was supposed to be." At one point, Trump had to be reminded to sign the orders he had just announced (Image: (Image: Getty)) Solo explained: "This is the duality of the satire: it depends what context you bring to it to make the punchline or the joke. Here there was no context and it was posted without our consent or knowledge." It remains uncertain whether Trump understood the satirical nature of the video, depicting a garishly extravagant "Trump Gaza", or if he simply failed to grasp the humor. In recent times, Trump's mental acuity has been a subject of debate. The 78-year-old president reportedly exited the stage after delivering his contentious "Liberation Day" tariffs speech, and needed assistance to return and sign the bill that enacted the legislation at midnight. Trump boasted that he was in the peak of physical and mental health after his physical (Image: (Image: Getty)) Footage of the incident shows Trump cheerfully waving to the crowd before walking off and engaging in conversation with another official, who gently steers him back to the desk. At nearly 79, Trump holds the record for being the oldest individual to assume the presidency in American history. Despite reassurances from his physician, Captain Sean Barbabella, some external experts have speculated that Trump may be exhibiting signs of dementia, a condition known to be prevalent in his family lineage. The results from Trump's physical put him at roughly the same height and weight as a top NFL player (Image: (Image: Getty)) Right after his check-up with Dr. Barbabella, Trump was quick to boast to the press that he "got every answer right" on the cognitive test. "Overall, I felt I was in very good shape," he followed up. The president then added that he has "a good heart, a good soul, a very good soul". Dr. Barbabella released a statement after the annual medical examination, noting the president's weight at 224 pounds (16 stone) and a height slightly over 6'2", although these details have been contested by various sources, claiming such measurements are more typical of professional athletes, such as AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How Generative A.I. Complements the MAGA Style
Right up front, and only once, let us acknowledge that everything about the 'Trump Gaza' A.I. video is insane: the proposal on which it is based, to resettle the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip and turn the area into a resort property; its content, which includes bearded belly dancers, an Elon Musk look-alike dancing on the beach and a golden statue of President Trump; and the fact that the president posted it, without comment, on a website called Truth Social. It's all absurd and awful. That is probably the point, if a concept as antiquated as intent applies to the new genre of computerized irony this video represents. I doubt anyone involved in its production and dissemination believes it describes a viable plan for the future. Nevertheless, it expresses the perspective of a certain subset of Americans — not how they imagine the Gaza of tomorrow but how they understand the internet of today. What we have here is the MAGA aesthetic distilled: political expression not as a way to persuade people or even convey ideas but as social and cultural posturing. There is also a song. Generated by A.I. in a style I would call in-flight techno, its lyrics begin, 'Donald's coming to set you free/bringing the light for all to see/no more troubles, no more fear/Trump Gaza is finally here.' This opening plays over shots of ruined city streets, where masked warriors with assault rifles alternately menace and care for children as civilians crouch in the rubble. GAZA 2025, the supertitles read. WHAT'S NEXT? The rubble remains, but at this point the foggy skies clear up to reveal construction cranes in the distance. A shot of soldiers passing through an archway cuts to a woman and two children walking through the mouth of a cave toward a beach. Modern skyscrapers fill the horizon, followed by a drum break synced to a series of quick cuts: golden sands lapped by cerulean water, mixed-use retail on streets lined with late-model Teslas, more kids running out of another cave to another beach. A man who looks like Musk, only 20 years younger and better rested, eats hummus before another cut to belly dancers with large breasts, shapely hips and full beards. This jarring sequence brings us to the chorus: 'Trump Gaza, shining bright/golden future, a brand-new light/feast and dance, the deed is done/Trump Gaza, No. 1.' As the chorus repeats, we enter the 'after' portion of the spot. A child walks down a shining boulevard, holding a Mylar balloon shaped like the president's head. The president himself chats up a younger woman in a casino. Money falls from the sky. The aforementioned golden statue stands at the center of a busy roundabout, and Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drink cocktails with their shirts off by a pool. The whole thing is prime generative A.I. It's competently hacky, more technically proficient than what most people could produce, but also deranged in the Patrick Bateman style, as though an automaton had decided what humans like by watching thousands of commercials — which is, of course, exactly what happened. Given how recently generative A.I. developed, it's remarkable how fast its aesthetic hallmarks have become recognizable: high-contrast textures, perceptibly diffuse lighting, forced-perspective shots in which people walk down city streets or through arched openings. It's not what dreams look like so much as a visual rendering of a dream's description, complete with mild failures of object permanence and the sense that we have seen it all before, although it didn't look like that. As soon as this visual style became familiar, it seemed to become the dominant aesthetic of the pro-Trump internet. With the possible exception of venture capitalists, the demographic that appears to have embraced A.I. most enthusiastically is MAGA meme accounts, possibly because the people who have most loudly rejected it — graphic designers, journalists, photographers, filmmakers, musicians, teachers — are archetypal liberals. In the reactive logic of the MAGA rank and file, A.I. is good because the right people hate it. This dynamic has produced a culture of computer-generated irony with peculiar characteristics. It is not the stable irony of a Jonathan Swift or a Stephen Colbert, in which the audience can rely on the ironist to say the opposite of what he means. Instead it is an unstable irony that leaves its real meaning ambiguous or at least plausibly deniable. President Trump himself popularized this approach by 'telling it like it is' in a way that consistently disregards precision if not accuracy, speaking in a hyperbolic style that his followers understand to be not literal but also gospel truth. The Trump Gaza video is ironic in this slippery sense of the word. It's the irony of saying more than you mean (literal golden idol of Trump), or saying what you mean in a way no one could call serious (the twice-stereotyped belly dancers), or calling attention to your leader's weak points as a gesture of unconditional loyalty (gold-leaf everything). This is the irony that means figuratively the same thing it says literally, but in some different way that is never explained — the irony of the man who calls his wife fat and then complains she can't take a joke. Solo Avital and Ariel Vromen, the Los Angeles-based Israeli producers who generated Trump Gaza, neatly captured this rhetorical position when they told NBC that their video was satire but also not necessarily critical of Trump's proposal. In other words, unstable irony has given them a way to agree with the president even though they know he is wrong. Ethnically cleansing Gaza in order to develop it as a resort property may be the dumbest and most venal idea Trump has ever had. That's the point. It's not that the denizens of the MAGA internet fail to realize such an idea is bad; it's that they're keenly aware that other people think they don't realize it's bad, so they play into that perception in order to become knowing. It's punk rock, kitsch, trolling: the art of making something so stupid that other members of your subculture experience it as smart. If it seems calculated to alienate people who don't already agree with it, that's because one of its functions is to emphasize that their support is no longer necessary. In these early days of Trump's second term, the basic rhetorical strategy of trolling — not trying to persuade so much as trying to make what you say the subject of the biggest possible argument — seems to have escaped the internet and infected areas of life previously regarded as more important. A few days before the president posted the Trump Gaza video, Musk told the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference that 'I am become meme.' He was dressed in a leather jacket, chunky black sunglasses and a gold chain, apparently in homage to an A.I.-generated image of him that has become widespread on X. 'There's living the dream, and there's living the meme,' he said. 'And that's pretty much what's happening, you know?' We do increasingly seem to be living the meme, even if 'dream' is not quite the word for that experience. As of this writing, the team Musk has labeled the Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE, named for a meme — has persuaded the Trump administration to cut more than 80 percent of contracts administered through U.S.A.I.D. The more the reactive logic of posting intersects with policy, and the more that policy functions as signifier rather than plan, derived from webs of association rather than chains of events — that is, the more governance looks like slop — the more difficult it becomes to say who or what is actually in charge. There are people behind these ideas, but their role seems closer to distribution than production. More and more, it feels as if the computer came up with it.
