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During his vacation in Scotland, former President Donald Trump took a moment to complain-not about golf scores, but about not receiving a "thank you" after claiming the U.S. sent $60 million in food aid to Palestinians in Gaza two weeks ago. Trump insisted he deserved gratitude for this supposed humanitarian gesture.
Let's fact-check that.
According to The Guardian, the only publicly documented U.S. aid in recent weeks was a $30 million grant to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial entity supported by both Israel and the U.S. Trump did not specify where the rest of the alleged $60 million came from, or to whom it was sent. In typical fashion, 47 continues to spread misinformation for political theater.
I've lived in America for nearly 50 years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Not once have I seen a U.S. president-until Trump-demand a "thank you" for aid provided in times of human suffering.
Aid is not charity from a personal wallet. It's a moral, humanitarian responsibility. Gazans, facing famine and bombardment, don't owe Trump anything-especially when much of the aid is entangled in violence, political interests, and unkept promises.
Trump may want applause, but what's happening on the ground in Gaza is not worthy of celebration.
A former security contractor working with GHF told the BBC he witnessed multiple incidents where guards opened fire on unarmed Palestinians, including women and children, near aid distribution centers. In one case, a machine gun was fired from a watchtower simply because people weren't moving quickly enough away from the site.
A retired U.S. special forces officer also told the BBC he personally witnessed war crimes while working alongside Israeli forces and U.S.-backed personnel at these sites. He described scenes of Israeli troops firing on civilians-echoed in Haaretz, citing an AP report.
Of course, both the IDF and GHF denied the allegations, calling them "politically motivated." But denials ring hollow when bodies pile up at aid centers built in the name of "relief."
On Monday, July 28, 2025, JapanToday.com reported that Israeli forces opened fire on crowds at U.S.- and Israeli-backed food distribution sites in Gaza, killing 34 people. According to eyewitnesses, the victims were unarmed civilians trying to access food.
That day marked the deadliest mass shooting since this new aid system began last month-and not a single word of condemnation from Trump. No tweet. No press release. Nothing.
Where was this so-called humanitarian when Palestinians were gunned down while reaching for food?
On July 27, 2025, Israeli naval forces intercepted and hijacked the Gaza-bound flotilla ship Handala in international waters. The vessel was carrying baby formula, food, diapers, and medical supplies. Passengers, including seven American citizens, were detained, and the humanitarian cargo was seized.
And again-Trump said nothing. Not even a lazy tweet.
Had he condemned the attack, the kidnapping, and the piracy at sea, I might have been the first Palestinian to send him a thank-you note. But silence speaks volumes, and his complicity in Gaza's suffering is as loud as his boastful lies.
Among the activists aboard the Handala was Ann Wright, a friend of mine, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, and a former U.S. diplomat who resigned in 2003 over the Iraq War. She's been to Gaza 10 times between 2009 and 2014 and has been arrested for her activism aboard humanitarian flotillas twice-in 2010 and 2016.
She received the State Department's Award for Heroism in 1997 for evacuating thousands during the Sierra Leone civil war. Unlike Trump, Ann has a consistent, principled record of standing against injustice-whether in Iraq or Gaza.
While activists risk their lives at sea, Trump struts through Scotland like a peacock. Unsurprisingly, his presence there was met with ridicule. Scottish MP Stephen Flynn mocked Trump, saying he couldn't meet him because he was "busy washing his hair"-even though Flynn is bald.
This isn't just satire; it's a reflection of how the world sees the former president. An embarrassment. A man whose ego demands applause while people starve under the policies he enables.
Trump loves the spotlight, but not accountability. He won't speak about Jeffrey Epstein or U.S. complicity in Gaza's genocide. And he certainly won't address the hunger, displacement, or mass killings enabled under his influence and silence.
Instead, he demands thanks.
But as I see it, no one owes a thank-you to a man complicit in war crimes-especially when he's too busy golfing to care.
Mahmoud El-Youseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes on U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice. Email: [email protected]
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