Trump Promises Genocide — Legacy Media Is Helping Him

Here's how you can join a critical effort by Senator Tim Kaine to stop genocide, as he leads a coalition to pass legislation banning a U.S. takeover of the Gaza Strip

Donald Trump has never been known for keeping his promises—unless they serve to expand his power, his wealth, or his control. One promise he has repeated since re-entering office that we must take seriously is his declaration that the United States will “assume control” of the Gaza Strip, forcibly remove its 2 million Palestinian inhabitants, and develop the land for profit. Let’s be absolutely clear—this is not a “jobs program.” This is not “urban renewal.” This is ethnic cleansing. This is genocide. And corporate media is not only failing to call it out but, in some cases, outright supporting it. Let’s Address This.

Supporters of Jewish Voice for Peace stage a protest on the National Mall in Washington DC on Wednesday. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

The Wall Street Journal Advocates for Genocide

Just today, the Wall Street Journal ran an article attempting to normalize forced population transfers by citing historical precedents. Its headline?

“If Indians and Pakistanis Can Relocate, Why Can’t Gazans? Population transfers aren’t a Trump innovation. There are plenty of examples from the 20th century.”

This is unhinged, sociopathic propaganda designed to rewrite history and justify ethnic cleansing. The WSJ wants its readers to believe that forced displacement is merely a logistical challenge—not a crime against humanity.

Forced Displacement Is Always a Crime

The historical examples of forced population transfers cited in the Wall Street Journal should not be seen as precedents to follow, but as atrocities never to be repeated. A non-exhaustive list of some of the most violent and horrific examples include:

• The Trail of Tears (1830s): The U.S. government forced 60,000 Indigenous people from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States, marching them thousands of miles to “Indian Territory” (present-day Oklahoma). Thousands died from disease, starvation, and exposure. This was genocide.

• Stalin’s Campaign of Terror (1930s-40s): Stalin’s brutal forced population transfers displacing millions of Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Koreans, Chechens, and other ethnic groups. Under the false guise of "security" and "reorganization," entire communities were uprooted, marched to remote regions, and left to perish from starvation, disease, and exposure. This was ethnic cleansing and genocide.

• The Holocaust (1930s-40s): The Nazis forcibly relocated millions of Jewish people, Romani people, disabled people, and other persecuted groups to concentration camps. Forced displacement was a key step in the Nazi genocide.

• The Partition of India (1947): Britain’s colonial mismanagement forced the migration of over 15 million people, leading to mass violence, ethnic cleansing, and hundreds of thousands of deaths. This was not an orderly “relocation.” It was one of the bloodiest humanitarian disasters of the 20th century.

• The Rwandan Genocide (1994): Prior to the genocide, the US State Department estimated there were 550,000 refugees,¹ predominantly Tutsis, in Central Africa, most of whom fled Rwanda in the pogroms that followed the overthrow of the Tutsi monarchy in 1959. The largest exile communities were in Uganda (200,000) and Burundi (245,000). This forced displacement was a key factor to enabling genocide.

• The Rohingya Genocide (2017): The Myanmar military systematically displaced nearly 1 million Rohingya Muslims, burning their villages and massacring civilians. The International Court of Justice recognized this as genocide.

• The Nakba (1948): During the creation of Israel, over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes, their land stolen, their villages erased. This was ethnic cleansing—one that Palestinians continue to endure to this day.

Trump’s Plan for Gaza Is Genocide

What Trump is proposing—a forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza—is nothing short of a war crime under international law. It is another Nakba, and it cannot stand. The Genocide Convention, adopted in 1948, was explicitly enacted to prevent such atrocities in the future. It defines genocide as:

“Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such:

• Killing members of the group;

• Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

• Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

• Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

• Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

Trump’s planned forced removal of Palestinians from Gaza directly falls under "deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its destruction." He is openly advocating for a crime that the world has already recognized as genocide.

Media Must Stop Normalizing Ethnic Cleansing

Media is supposed to be the Fourth Estate—to keep power in check, and to ensure the rights of people are protected. Instead, The Wall Street Journal’s attempt to rationalize forced population transfers is a horrifying reminder of how easily genocide can be framed as policy. We have seen this before. Nazis did not start with death camps—they started by justifying the removal of Jews. The U.S. did not begin with reservations—they began by arguing Indigenous people were better off elsewhere.

Rather than unapologetically condemn Trump’s fascist goals, The WSJ happily serves as the water carrier for a genocidal policy. We cannot allow this dangerous rhetoric to continue. Forced displacement is genocide. It was genocide in the past. It is genocide now. Corporate media continues to fail us—another reminder of why I am continuing to build this human rights initiative of Let’s Address This with your support and trust.

The U.S. Government Must Oppose This

Fortunately, some lawmakers are pushing back. Senator Tim Kaine, alongside Senators Blumenthal, Durbin, Ossoff, Sanders, Van Hollen, Warnock, Welch, Wyden, Duckworth, and Merkley, introduced a bill stating that the U.S. will not take over Gaza, period. Their legislation correctly points out that Palestinians have the right to self-determination, and that occupation would lead to more violence and yet another forever war—something no American (or anyone committed to human rights and peace) would ever want.

This should not be controversial and this should not be partisan. Palestinians have the right to exist, to live on their land, and to determine their own future—free from military occupation and forced displacement. Any attempt to counter that is illegal, immoral, and needs unanimous condemnation.

What Actions Can We Take?

We must not be passive bystanders as another atrocity unfolds before our eyes. Here’s what you can do:

1. Call Senator Tim Kaine’s office at (202) 224-4024 and send him the below email at this link.

Subject: Thank You for Standing Against U.S. Occupation of Gaza

Dear Senator Kaine,

I want to sincerely thank you for introducing legislation S. Res 68 affirming that the United States will not take control of Gaza and supporting the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. Your leadership in opposing occupation and advocating for peace and justice is deeply appreciated.

This is an important step, and I encourage you to continue fighting for policies that uphold human rights, international law, and a just resolution for the people of Gaza. Your voice is critical in ensuring that U.S. policy remains committed to dignity, peace, and justice for all.

Thank you for your courage and integrity. Please know that you have my full support in continuing this vital work.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address (Optional)]
[Your Contact Information]

It is imperative we let our elected officials know when they are doing things right, because that reinforces their convictions and gives them ammunition to share with their colleagues when trying to convince them to do what is right.

2. Contact your representatives and demand they oppose Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and forcibly remove Palestinians. You can find your representatives here. Please send them this email.

Subject: Please Support Senator Tim Kaine’s Legislation S. Res 68 on Gaza

Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name],

I am writing to urge you to support Senator Tim Kaine’s legislation S. Res 68 affirming that the United States will not take control of Gaza and upholding the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

Occupation and forced displacement are violations of international law and would only perpetuate suffering, instability, and conflict. Senator Kaine’s bill is a crucial step toward ensuring that U.S. policy remains committed to justice, peace, and human rights.

The United States must stand for diplomacy, accountability, and a just resolution to the crisis in Gaza—one that prioritizes the dignity and freedom of its people, not further displacement and occupation.

I strongly urge you to support this legislation and any measures that advance peace, uphold international law, and protect human rights.

Thank you for your time and attention to this critical matter. I look forward to seeing your leadership on this issue.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address (Optional)]
[Your Contact Information]

3. Reject media outlets that promote genocide. The Wall Street Journal should not be given a free pass for publishing such horrific justifications. If you have a subscription, consider cancelling it. Make sure they understand why you reject their calls to genocide. You can contact the WSJ at 1-800-369-2834.

4. Support independent journalism and Palestinian voices—as they are fighting to expose the truth while mainstream media normalizes genocide. Stay loud. Share this information. History repeats itself when people are silent.

Conclusion

It is imperative we understand that Trump is not proposing a mere radical policy shift—he is promising genocide. And if we do not actively resist, history will remember us not as witnesses, but as accomplices. Moreover, silence on this act will enable Trump to proceed further. People in Gaza have no government, army, or infrastructure. They are vulnerable and an easy target for Trump. If he is allowed to exploit them, he will be even more emboldened to exploit other communities and other nations. Let us remain firmly against this horrific call to genocide, and likewise reject legacy media’s apathy and approval of these war crimes. This is not a red or blue issue, this is a human rights issue. We must demand better, and that starts by collectively raising our voices now.

1. https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/rwanda/turning-points/the-rwandan-refugee-crisis-part-i