Trump has never been to Gaza

Donald Trump

Statement: Of Gaza, “I’ve been there.”

In an interview on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, former President Donald Trump claimed he had been to Gaza.

Conservative radio show host Hugh Hewitt asked Trump if Gaza could "be Monaco if it was rebuilt the right way." Trump responded that it could be "better than Monaco," adding, "You know when — I’ve been there, and it’s rough."

We asked the Trump campaign for details about his visit to Gaza, but received no specific answers.

"President Trump has been to Gaza previously and has always worked to ensure peace in the Middle East," said Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokesperson.

The Abraham Accords, signed during Trump’s presidency, normalized relations between Israel and some Arab countries but did not involve Gaza. The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN found no evidence that Trump visited Gaza, as did several Middle East experts.

Trump-appointed former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker told CNN, "As far as I know, he’s never traveled there."

A Trump campaign official anonymously told the Times, "Gaza is in Israel." Gaza is not part of Israel; it has been occupied since 1967 but never annexed.

Trump visited the West Bank

Trump has been to the West Bank, meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on May 23, 2017, according to a State Department record. That record does not mention Gaza.

Bill Clinton visited Gaza

The last U.S. president to visit Gaza was Bill Clinton on Dec. 14, 1998. "Today the eyes of the world are on you," Clinton said. He cut the ribbon for the Gaza International Airport.

Clinton's visit was "a huge deal for the Palestinians," said Ezzedine C. Fishere, a senior lecturer at Dartmouth College. Security concerns have deterred subsequent presidential visits.

PolitiFact's ruling

Trump said he had been to Gaza.

His campaign provided no evidence. The State Department's log of presidential travels does not list Gaza. Multiple experts say Clinton was the last U.S. president to visit Gaza.

Lacking evidence, we rate Trump’s statement False.

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this fact-check.

Our sources

• Hugh Hewitt show, Interview with former President Donald Trump, Oct. 7, 2024
• White House, Transcript of President Bill Clinton remarks, Dec. 14, 1998
• Clinton White House, Photos in archives, December 1998
• State Department, President Donald J. Trump, 2017-2020
• State Department, Security Alert:  U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, Oct. 7, 2023
• ABC News, President Trump meets with Abbas in Bethlehem, says 'truly hopeful' for peace deal, May 23, 2017
• New York Times, Trump Says He’s Visited Gaza, but No Record of Such a Trip Exists, Oct. 7, 2024
• CNN, Fact check: No evidence for Trump’s claim he has been to Gaza, Oct. 8, 2024
• Reuters, U.S. warns on travel to Israel, Palestinian areas, Aug. 9, 2007
• Washington Post, Trump claims he has been to Gaza, though there is no record of visit, Oct. 7, 2024
• Council on Foreign Relations, What is Hamas?, Aug. 19, 2024
• Email interviews: Elliott Abrams, Ezzedine C. Fishere, Daniel C. Kurtzer, Joel Beinin, Oct. 8, 2024