Josh Hammer
๐ค SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
They're not really having children because they're just secular like other secular.
All right. So I finished drafting the book, Andrew, this past October. So before the 2024 election, I mean, well before Donald Trump shocked the world with his comments about how the U.S. will take over Gaza. So none of that is addressed in the book.
All right. So I finished drafting the book, Andrew, this past October. So before the 2024 election, I mean, well before Donald Trump shocked the world with his comments about how the U.S. will take over Gaza. So none of that is addressed in the book.
I do talk in the book certainly about the need to finish the job against Hamas, a U.S.-recognized foreign terrorist organization, an organization that slaughtered and raped and beheaded and took hostage many American citizens as well, by the way. It's funny, Andrew. There are some people who kind of pump their chest and say, America first, not my problem there.
I do talk in the book certainly about the need to finish the job against Hamas, a U.S.-recognized foreign terrorist organization, an organization that slaughtered and raped and beheaded and took hostage many American citizens as well, by the way. It's funny, Andrew. There are some people who kind of pump their chest and say, America first, not my problem there.
But Americans were literally slaughtered. Americans were literally taken hostage. I mean, October 7th, even on its own America terms, was the single largest American hostage crisis since Tehran in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter there. So So Hamas has to go.
But Americans were literally slaughtered. Americans were literally taken hostage. I mean, October 7th, even on its own America terms, was the single largest American hostage crisis since Tehran in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter there. So So Hamas has to go.
And the question right now is frankly whether or not Prime Minister Netanyahu gets the message and acts on it because President Trump admirably has been crystal clear. He has been above and beyond. Do what you have to do. There will be hell to pay and this and this there. So the question frankly is really what Israel will do. The ball is frankly in Israel's court when it comes to eradicating Hamas.
And the question right now is frankly whether or not Prime Minister Netanyahu gets the message and acts on it because President Trump admirably has been crystal clear. He has been above and beyond. Do what you have to do. There will be hell to pay and this and this there. So the question frankly is really what Israel will do. The ball is frankly in Israel's court when it comes to eradicating Hamas.
In terms of what the actual future and the long-term settlement of Gaza ought to be, Look, Andrew, in my heart of hearts, I would prefer that Israel take it over. I'm not enamored with the idea of the United States having a permanent presence there, frankly. It's not my instinct because I'm not an imperialist. I'm a nationalist.
In terms of what the actual future and the long-term settlement of Gaza ought to be, Look, Andrew, in my heart of hearts, I would prefer that Israel take it over. I'm not enamored with the idea of the United States having a permanent presence there, frankly. It's not my instinct because I'm not an imperialist. I'm a nationalist.
I fundamentally get a little skittish when it comes to the idea of America just kind of having an ever-increasing global footprint around the world. I'm open to the idea. I'm not totally opposed to it. I would like to hear a little more details as to exactly what President Trump has in mind. He obviously is an outside-the-box thinker, and I'm very open and willing to being persuaded here.
I fundamentally get a little skittish when it comes to the idea of America just kind of having an ever-increasing global footprint around the world. I'm open to the idea. I'm not totally opposed to it. I would like to hear a little more details as to exactly what President Trump has in mind. He obviously is an outside-the-box thinker, and I'm very open and willing to being persuaded here.
In my heart of hearts, I do think it's best, in theory, if Israel takes it over. But unfortunately, Andrew, something does have to happen to the Arabs there in order for Israel to take it over there. And that's kind of where this other part of Donald Trump's plan comes in there.
In my heart of hearts, I do think it's best, in theory, if Israel takes it over. But unfortunately, Andrew, something does have to happen to the Arabs there in order for Israel to take it over there. And that's kind of where this other part of Donald Trump's plan comes in there.
You got to try to put massive sticks and carrots diplomacy on Jordan, on Egypt, and trying to get them to bring in lots of these Arabs there.
You got to try to put massive sticks and carrots diplomacy on Jordan, on Egypt, and trying to get them to bring in lots of these Arabs there.
I think pragmatically, realistically, the most likely thing that's going to happen in Gaza, if we interpret Donald Trump's stance as an opening bid, the most likely stance, Andrew, is probably you'll have the Saudis, the Emiratis, the Bahrainis, these various other wealthy Sunni Arab states that go in with some sort of consortium. These are very wealthy countries.
I think pragmatically, realistically, the most likely thing that's going to happen in Gaza, if we interpret Donald Trump's stance as an opening bid, the most likely stance, Andrew, is probably you'll have the Saudis, the Emiratis, the Bahrainis, these various other wealthy Sunni Arab states that go in with some sort of consortium. These are very wealthy countries.
They can build up the infrastructure fairly closely there. The U.S. will be involved in some capacity to make sure these Arabs are not putting in a bunch of, you know, crypto jihadis to basically make Hamas rise again there. But that's my guess as to as to what it actually looks like. Fair enough.