President Donald Trump said Thursday that he initially thought he might receive money during what he called a surprise at the opening of his first Board of Peace meeting. He joked that he “could always use some extra cash.”
Speaking from the newly named Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace, Trump praised the new board. He predicted that world leaders would eventually accept invitations to join.
“I believe it’s the most important board, certainly in terms of power. In terms of prestige, there has never been anything close,” Trump said. “Almost everybody’s accepted, and the ones that haven’t will be. Some are playing a little cute. It doesn’t work. You can’t play games with me. They’re trying a little bit, but they’re all joining.”
He added, “A few that we really don’t want because they’re trouble, take care of them.”
Trump also mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio was responsible for naming the building after him. He described this as a surprise he had not expected.
“This building was built for peace, and nobody knew what to name it,” Trump said. “Then Marco named it after me. I had nothing to do with it. I swear I didn’t. I had no idea.”
Trump said he was told beforehand that “there’s a surprise coming,” but claimed he did not know what it would be.
Trump at the Board of Peace meeting, talking about being surprised another building gets his name on it: “I thought they were gonna give me cash. Can always use some extra cash.” pic.twitter.com/JNkRYYKzBi
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“They said, there’s a surprise coming. I didn’t know that surprise,” he said. “I thought they were going to give me a lot of money or something, maybe cash. You could always use some extra cash.”
“That was Marco and JD and a group got together, and they did that, and I just thought it was very nice,” Trump added, referring to Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
These remarks came during the board’s first meeting, which Trump described as focused on global stability and diplomatic engagement. He said the initiative would bring together influential figures to address international conflicts and security issues.
The U.S. Institute of Peace was established by Congress in 1984 as an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to preventing and resolving conflicts. It operates separately from the executive branch but collaborates with federal agencies and international partners on peacebuilding efforts.
Trump did not provide details about the board’s structure, membership criteria, or funding during his remarks. He said invitations had been extended to various global leaders and expressed confidence that holdouts would eventually join.
Rubio has not publicly commented on Trump’s claim that the building’s name was his idea. The White House did not release a formal statement outlining the renaming process or the board’s mission.
Trump’s comments about expecting a financial reward seemed to be made in a joking manner, drawing laughter from attendees in the room. He did not indicate that any personal payment was planned or discussed in relation to the board.
The event marked the first official gathering of the Board of Peace and the administration has promoted the initiative as part of a larger diplomatic strategy aimed at strengthening U.S. influence in conflict mediation and international negotiations.
