Former President Donald Trump claimed in a radio interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he has visited Gaza in the past. 

Former President Trump suggested in a radio interview on Monday that he had visited war-torn Gaza in the past, a place there is no record of him visiting.

An aide then told the New York Times that Gaza is in Israel, and because Trump had visited Israel, he had been to Gaza.… pic.twitter.com/0wF7fayA9C

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 8, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

There is no evidence Trump has visited Gaza.

Fact Check: 

An investigation led by Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse found that the Trump administration was involved in misleading the public about the investigation into Brett Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assaults in 2018, according to The Guardian.

During an interview with Hewitt, Trump claimed that he has been to Gaza. “You know, I’ve been (to Gaza) and it’s rough. It’s a rough place, before the, you know, before all of the attacks and before the back and forth what’s happened over the last couple of years,” he said.

Trump’s claim is baseless, however. There is no record of Trump having visited Gaza during his time as a businessman or president, according to the New York Times. He visited the West Bank in 2017, but this is a separate territory from Gaza around 20 miles away at its nearest point, the outlet reported.

An anonymous Trump aide told the New York Times, “Gaza is in Israel. President Trump has been to Israel.” Gaza is not in Israel, though it was occupied by Israel from 1967 until 2005 when the country unilaterally withdrew from the territory, according to the BBC. 

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign national press secretary, asserted in an email to Check Your Fact that Trump has been to Gaza, but did not provide any evidence or details. (RELATED: Did Donald Trump Donate $25 Million Dollars to Hurricane Victims?)

“President Trump has been to Gaza previously and has always worked to ensure peace in the Middle East. He negotiated the historic Abraham Accords and brought stability to the region, which has unfortunately been destabilized again due to the Harris-Biden Administration’s weakness,” Leavitt said. 

CNN, the Jerusalem Post, and other outlets have not found any evidence that Trump visited Gaza. David Schnecker, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs who was appointed by Trump, told CNN “As far as I know, he’s never traveled there. He did not go in 2017 when he visited Israel. I think this story is probably already over.”

Check Your Fact has reached out to the Office of Palestinian Affairs for comment. 

Editor’s Note: This article is based on current information. If new information comes to light, we will update this article and rating.