Trump Says US Will Contribute $10 Billion to Board of Peace But Few Details on ... - Mahomet Daily

At the inaugural meeting in Washington, President Donald Trump told representatives from roughly 40 countries that the United States would make a $10 billion “contribution” to the Board of Peace. The board is framed by Trump as a vehicle to “secure and rebuild” Gaza, and he has also suggested its mission could expand beyond Gaza.

“When you compare that to the cost of war, it’s a relatively small amount,” he said, likening the pledge to “about two weeks” of fighting. The same week Trump made this statement, the Trump administration announced it might strike Iran.

The Board of Peace is chaired by Trump, with an executive board that includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management chief executive Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and American political adviser Robert Gabriel Jr.

More than 20 countries, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, Hungary, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Argentina, have accepted invitations to join the group, according to public lists of members. Member states generally receive three-year terms, while a $1 billion contribution is required to secure permanent membership and is described by U.S. officials as funding the board’s activities and Gaza reconstruction.

The Board of Peace charter explicitly designates Trump as chairman, with no fixed term limit, and gives him the power to appoint and remove members, set agendas, and approve or veto board decisions. Decisions by member states are valid only “subject to the approval of the Chairman,” and decisions of the executive board can be vetoed by the chairman at any time, making Trump the final authority on the meaning and application of the charter. The charter does not establish an independent financial oversight body with authority over the chairman.

Politically, the $10 billion pledge allows Trump to present himself as putting significant U.S. resources behind a signature foreign-policy initiative. But if his administration attempts to move federal funds, it would have to identify a legal mechanism, such as a specific congressional appropriation or reprogramming authority, and comply with whatever auditing and reporting requirements apply under U.S. law, including potential scrutiny from Congress, inspectors general and the Government Accountability Office.