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How Trump’s love for TV shapes US diplomacy
Trump’s shift on Gaza, triggered by images of starving children he saw on television, highlights his long-standing reliance on TV for decisions
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Donald Trump’s sudden concern about starving Palestinians was a major shift for the US president, who had previously ignored the endless cries for help from aid groups. So what changed?
In his words, it was images of emaciated children in Gaza that Trump saw on television – his main window into the world that has long shaped his political and diplomatic decision-making.
Trump made clear his affection for the small screen in late July when asked if he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a major US ally, that there was no famine in Gaza.
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“Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry,” said Trump, a former reality TV star.
“That’s real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can’t fake that.”
Since then, the 79-year-old has repeated that aid must be brought to people living in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, though he has stopped short of any major diplomatic moves.
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