Trump’s Board of Peace is all hat, no cattle, to no one’s surprise 

In January, while still threatening to seize Greenland, President Trump announced the formation of a “Board of Peace,” proclaiming it “the Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place.” The United  Nations Security Council endorsed the board as part of a “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” but the board’s charter claims a far broader mission: securing “peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”

Trump, who named himself the board’s chairman for life, predicted it could become “one of the most consequential bodies ever created,” and might eventually replace the United Nations. Five months later, the board has produced little beyond a charter and a few security personnel.  

The gap between rhetoric and reality illustrates a key feature of Trump’s presidency. Although he claimed he would “govern by a simple motto: ‘Promises made, promises kept,'” in his administration, a promise is often the achievement. It grabs headlines, dominates the news cycle, distracts from setbacks elsewhere, and allows Trump to promote himself. By the time it’s clear how little has changed, Trump, the media and most Americans have moved on. 

The Board of Peace held its first and, so far, only meeting in February at the renamed “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.” The board contains a smattering of mostly authoritarian states. America’s closest allies, including most European nations, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea, have taken a pass. 

At that inaugural meeting, member states pledged $7 billion for Gaza reconstruction, and Trump promised an additional $10 billion in U.S. funds. To date, only $23 million has materialized, and no major reconstruction or security contracts........

© The Hill