Trump’s Hasbara
Trump’s Gaza fantasy blurs satire, atrocity, and the global collapse of political language into performative chaos.
On 25 February 2025, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account a thirty-second video clip which appears to have been created with generative AI and was first put online by somebody with no connection to the White House. The clip, which promotes the transformation of Gaza into a Gulf state–like resort, opens on barefoot Palestinian children walking through Gazan rubble. After a title card asks, “What’s next?” they walk towards a skyline of skyscrapers lining Gaza’s coast, and a voice sings, “Donald’s coming to set you free. Trump Gaza shining bright. Golden future, a brand-new light. Feast and dance. The deed is done.” The scenes shown are: Teslas driving through the streets; someone with a striking resemblance to Elon Musk eating bread dipped in hummus; Hamas militants with full beards dancing flirtatiously in bikinis and sheer belly-dancing skirts; a child holding a giant, gold Trump balloon; Trump dancing with a scantily clad woman in a nightclub; Musk showering people with cash; a “Trump Gaza” building; golden Trump merch including his statues on sale; a gigantic golden Trump statue; Trump and Netanyahu lounging topless poolside while enjoying cocktails.
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Trump’s Hasbara by Slavoj Zizek is featured in full in Issue 3 of Memo magazine.
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