Trump’s “Board of Peace” and Delusional Global Ambitions

It’s not enough that Donald Trump deludes himself into believing that the United States is the world’s “hottest country” – tell that to the people of Minneapolis. His proposed “Board of Peace” reveals his delusional ambition to dominate the world. Like George Orwell’s doublethink in 1984 – “War is peace” – Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” is a perversion of the principles underlying the United Nations and reflects his increasingly evident disconnect from reality.

The Original Sin

How was Trump encouraged in his global ambitions? United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (UNSC 2803) formalized Trump’s 20-point proposed peace plan for Gaza. It established a Board of Peace, a transitional body to coordinate reconstruction and governance in Gaza, and named Trump as its initial chair.

Most importantly, the Resolution dealt specifically with Gaza. As noted in the preamble:  “Welcoming the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict…and further welcoming the constructive role played…in facilitating the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip…”

Thirteen members of the Security Council voted in favor of the 2025 Resolution, including the U.K, France, Algeria, Denmark, South Korea, and Greece, with only Russia and China abstaining. Not a single member of the Security Council voted against it.

What led these 13 countries to support Trump’s 20-point plan? The French Foreign Ministry explained its vote: “By voting in favor of this resolution, France intends to support the political momentum aimed at achieving a lasting end to the war in Gaza … the implementation of this resolution must take place within a clear political and legal framework, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions … and the right of the Palestinian people to self‑determination.”

Why Donald Trump as chair of the Board? Trump became chairman because the Board of Peace was created under the plan he proposed. UNSC 2803 endorsed Trump’s plan, granting both the plan and Trump himself United Nations legitimacy. His chairmanship of the Board is formalized in the Board’s charter, which authorizes his authority over membership, decisions, and oversight of Gaza’s reconstruction and stabilization.

Trump’s Perversion of the U.N’s Board of Peace

But giving Trump a leadership role in the Israel/Palestinian conflict was not enough for his ego. Trump presented his “Board of Peace” during the recent meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos.

How does Trump’s Board differ from UNSC 2803? First, it is not limited to Gaza. As reported in The Guardian: “[T]there is not a single mention of Gaza in the ‘board of peace’ charter sent out to national capitals. That document instead portrays the board as a permanent fixture to promote peace and good governance around the world. It will be ‘pragmatic’ and ‘results-oriented,’ it will be ‘a more nimble and effective international peace-building body,’ and will have ‘the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.’”

Second, the new Board’s 11-page charter grants Trump extraordinary powers. Article 3.1–3.4 state that the “Chairman [Trump] has exclusive authority to create, modify, dissolve bodies, set agendas, and designate his successor — with removal only upon resignation or incapacity.”

Beyond the obvious danger of consolidating so much power in one individual’s hands, Trump’s “Board of Peace” is a direct challenge to the United Nations. The phrase “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed” signals a willingness to bypass the U.N. According to a letter Trump wrote to the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the Board “will be established as a new international organization.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has so far refrained from publicly rebuking Trump’s Board. A spokesman noted cautiously, “One thing we are aware of is, of course, that the Security Council has endorsed the Board of Peace strictly for the work on Gaza, and, of course, we continue to abide by that resolution. What happens in the future, we’ll have to see.”

Others were more forthright in condemning Trump’s Board. “This is a direct assault on the United Nations,” declared Marc Weller, a Cambridge University law professor. “This initiative is likely to be seen as a takeover of the world order by one individual in his own image.”

But just as the Security Council voted 13-0 to endorse Trump’s Gaza plan, several countries – perhaps as many as 35 – have committed to join his Board. At the Davos ceremony inaugurating the Board, representatives from Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrein, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan were present.

Other reactions to the Board were less positive. Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and France have all said they will not join. The French Foreign Minister stated “no to creating an organization as it has been presented, which would replace the United Nations,” as reported by the Associated Press. China has been invited, but has not confirmed participation, and Russia has not yet accepted the invitation. Swiss officials, in their customary prudence, said they would study the proposal closely before deciding how to proceed.

Trump threatened countries that refused to join. When French President Emmanuel Macron declined to participate in Trump’s proposed international board, Trump responded: “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join,”

Amnesty International captured Trump’s delusional attempt to dominate a new world order in its description of the Davos ceremony: “Today’s ceremony marking the establishment of the so‑called global ‘Board of Peace’ lays bare a brazen disregard for international law and human rights. It also represents a stark new manifestation of the escalating assault on United Nations mechanisms, international justice institutions and universal norms…”

Trump’s Delusions 

Is “delusional” the right word to describe Trump and his “Board of Peace”? “Is Trump Losing It?” Anna Gibbs asked in Slate. Susan Glasser posed a similar question in The New Yorker: “How many polite ways are there to ask whether the President of the United States is losing it?” In the New York Times, Opinion columnist Thomas Edsall cited a Columbia Business School professor on the same theme. Adam Galinsky argued that Trump “represents what researchers call the dark triad of three interconnected, malevolent personality traits: narcissism (grandiosity, self-centeredness), Machiavellianism (manipulation, cynicism) and psychopathy (impulsivity, lack of empathy/remorse).”

Trump’s “Board of Peace” is a blatant perversion of UNSC 2803 and a telling indication of his illusory ambitions. In an April 2025 interview in The Atlantic, Trump described the difference between his first and second terms: “The first time, I had two things to do — run the country and survive… And the second time, I run the country and the world.” The shift from UNSC 2803 to Trump’s “Board of Peace” is a revealing step in that direction.

The “No Kings” demonstrations must now go global. “No Emperors” should be the slogan.

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