cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/29640
President Donald Trump pledged Thursday that the United States would provide $10 billion in funding for his so-called Board of Peace—without specifying where the money would come from or how it would be used.
“Totally illegal,” US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote in response to Trump’s remarks at the inaugural meeting of the president’s board, where attendees—from far-right Argentine President Javier Milei to FIFA president Gianni Infantino—were given MAGA-style red hats.
Trump said during the gathering that “the United States is going to make a contribution of $10 billion to the Board of Peace.”
“We’ve had great support for that number,” the president said, without saying from whom. “And that number is a very small number when you look at that compared to the cost of war. That’s two weeks of fighting. It’s a very small number. Sounds like a lot, but it’s a very small number, so we’re committed to $10 billion.”
Trump also said that member nations of the board have pledged $7 billion total for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which Israel has obliterated with the help of US weaponry. (The United Nations has estimated that Gaza reconstruction would cost more than $70 billion over the course of several decades.)
Watch Trump’s remarks:
Trump’s vow to provide $10 billion in US funds for a board he created and leads intensified concerns that the entire project is another grift by a president who has been described as the most corrupt leader in US history, openly using the power of his office to enrich himself and his family.
“Can’t help but notice that this insane attempted theft is the same sum he’s trying to steal from the Treasury, disguised as damages for the disclosure of his tax records,” wrote journalist Brian Beutler, referring to the $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed last month against the US Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service.
“Probably a coincidence, which is worse, because it implies double stealing,” Beutler added.
Nancy Okail, president and CEO of the Center for International Policy, warned in an op-ed for The Hill on Wednesday that the Board of Peace is part of the Trump administration’s “the monetization and privatization of foreign policy for personal enrichment.”
“Initially presented as a mechanism to oversee a Gaza-Israel peace process, it has been widely chided as just another unserious Trump vanity project,” Okail noted.
David Corn of Mother Jones wrote earlier this month that Trump is “essentially cooking up a global slush fund over which he will exert complete control.”
“Countries that get in early—while he’s president—will certainly be in a strong position to request preferential treatment in state affairs. The opportunities for graft and grift are immense. He will probably ask Congress to kick in the $1 billion pay-to-play membership fee to guarantee he’ll have a pot of money to spend (or pocket) at his fancy.”
From Common Dreams via This RSS Feed.
As far as I remember, the budget falls under the sovereignty of the parliament in the US. Is he going to pay that from his personal coffers?
Not from, into his personal coffers.
And I wouldn’t be surprised for a second if those bitches in congress let him do it.
I’m loving this daily routine of Trump doing something blatantly illegal, which then causes a Democrat to say “heyyyyy, that’s illegal!” And then nothing happens. Fucking hell, I’m so tired.
I understand what you are saying but this time, THIS TIME something will come of this blatant and obvious crime.
This deffo will be the end of the regime.
This time they will arrest the obese orange child rapist and it will be charged and sent to prison!!!Oh, look, a flying pig!!!
As long as the voters back him, he can get away with almost anything
Why though?
Voters don’t suddenly invalidate all the laws.Why do you think the DOJ suddenly dropped all the lawsuits after the 2024 election?
It couldn’t be the totally inept Democrats, it’s gotta be the voters
It’s a good thing we got rid of USAID. How else would be able to scrounge up the spare money needed? We’re already going without healthcare and education, often without food and housing. So glad we still had some fat to trim and are able to support this. I’d hate for that money to be going to food and medical aid for countries we exploited or god forbid, go to help people actually in America.
USAID was always a garbage tool of us imperialism masquerading as assistance
I think it’s important to acknowledge that USAID was not a perfect organization. I have said as much before. Countries are often not doing that kind of thing for purely altruistic reasons, but evidence suggests that people were getting food and healthcare through them that they otherwise would not have received. You can argue the benefits of supplying that vs upskilling or local investing, but people are now lacking something they used to be able to count on USAID for. I think good could have come from something like that, and there just isn’t the political will to remake that where possibly it could be used for good. I understand people may feel like reform is impossible, but I think a lot of USAID work was doing something for people that we owe something to. More and better should have been done, but I don’t think dismantling it the way they did helped as much as it hurt.
“Initially presented as a mechanism to oversee a Gaza-Israel peace process, it has been widely chided as just another unserious Trump vanity project,” Okail noted.
Oh, it’s definitely both. Trump’s ultimate Gaza “peace” plan has always been to raze it and build a golf resort there, with other people’s money. Golf Courses are very peaceful…
Honestly, if they actually do that shit, I hope it gets attacked every fucking day. I hope it costs them so much to defend it from “terrorism” that they’re forced to shut it down and leave.
MFer posted a shitty AI video of it last year, but it got list in all the other crazy shit.
Is that Trump’s plan, or Kushner’s?
They are the same plan, they only differ in that Trump wants his name on the resort, while Kushner doesn’t care as long as he gets to grift it too.
In the case of Kushner it’s not just grift, he’s an orthodox jew, and a zionist.
Is there a difference between someone who mainly hates Palestinians, vs. someone who hates all non-whites without distinction?
Board of Peace…
Bored of Peace?
😱
Board of peas
Bored of peas.
trump & illegal in one sentence … i’m shocked ! /s
I’ve never been more shocked. It’s so unlike drumpf to do something illegal!
If it’s illegal, then what will you do about it? Write a sternly worded letter?
Well that’s the thing, he hasn’t done anything illegal in saying they will pay $10b, legally I think he is fine to completely lie and destroy the credibility of the U.S. presidency/country. Not until he procures the money without it being passed in a budget bill or such by congress would it be illegal. That said, he may be able to get private companies to pay the $10b by promising them contracts with those countries buying in. The sketchy business deals would just creep in quick. At some point you’d think companies would say they can’t get it passed their boards though, because if he somehow loses power whether it be a cheeseburger or what, the companies have 0% guarantee the U.S. will ensure those contracts
Ding ding ding
He can also get congress to agree to general aid money and divert that here
Why do the ruling class forget the rules are there to protect them?
Because they’ve been living consequence-free for a long time. The release of the Epstein files is the latest, greatest example of that.
Because they’re perfectly safe. So far.
Can’t wait for the funds to go missing line the ballroom totally not bribe fund.
Thanks so much America for making Ruzzia richer SMH. Karoline even invited the Vatican to this board of peace because America wants a theocracy and not a secular society ig?
How long until he renames it the Board of War?
