President Donald Trump hosted the first Board of Peace meeting to discuss next steps in the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, delivering wide-ranging remarks that touched on the United Nations, the Nobel Peace Prize and more.
Speaking Thursday, Feb. 19, at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., Trump thanked Paraguayan President Santiago Peña for attending.
“President, thank you very much,” Trump said, calling him a “young, handsome guy,” before adding that he doesn’t like “young, handsome men,” and joking that he prefers women.
Trump also referenced the United Nations, saying he has a “good relationship” with the organization but complaining about a previous appearance in which he said his teleprompter was turned off. Recalling his September 2025 address, he said he had to speak without the teleprompter while facing world leaders.
He also brought up a moment before that UN speech when he and first lady Melania Trump were briefly stuck on an escalator that stopped shortly after they stepped on. Trump said he avoided falling by placing his hand on her while she was in front of him.
A representative from Norway attended the meeting, prompting Trump to again mention the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump, who campaigned for the 2025 prize, lost it to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. He later received a physical medal when Machado visited the White House last month and presented it to him.
Trump said Norway plans to host a future Board of Peace event, joking that he initially thought the note he saw was announcing he would receive the Nobel Prize. He added that he doesn’t care about the prize and said he cares about “saving lives.”
On the meeting’s stated purpose, Trump announced that $7 billion had been committed by board members for reconstruction in Gaza and said the United States would commit $10 billion to the initiative, NBC reported. Critics noted that Congress has not yet approved or authorized those funds.
