Breaking: Trump’s transformation of federal government continues as Gaza plan sparks criticism…. Check In

By Jessie Yeung, Sophie Tanno, Antoinette Radford, Elise Hammond and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 3:30 PM EST, Wed February 5, 2025

What we’re covering
• World leaders slam Trump’s Gaza plan: After President Donald Trump said the US “will take over” Gaza, condemnation was swift from officials in the Middle East and Europe. Trump’s comments — in which the former real estate investor also said Gaza could become the “Riviera of the Middle East” — break with decades of US foreign policy. Arab nations have rejected any suggestions to displace Palestinians from Gaza, which opponents argue would amount to ethnic cleansing.

• Federal shake-up: Meanwhile in the US, newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi is expected to quickly assert control of the Justice Department and order a review of the cases brought against Trump, amid a firestorm over firings of agents and prosecutors who have worked on cases related to the president and January 6. This comes as multiple agencies face layoffs as part of Trump’s broad effort to shrink the federal government.

Birthright citizenship: A second federal judge on Wednesday blocked Trump’s executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship, saying it’s likely unconstitutional and “runs counter to our nation’s 250-year history of citizenship by birth.”