U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, February 19, 2026, a personal pledge of $10 billion to establish and fund a new global entity called the Board of Peace, which he described as a groundbreaking mechanism to prevent future wars and promote lasting international stability.
Speaking during a brief address from the White House Rose Garden, President Trump characterized the donation—sourced from his private wealth and business holdings—as “the largest single contribution ever made toward world peace by any individual in history.” He positioned the initiative as a direct response to what he called “the endless cycle of conflict, waste, and destruction” that has defined much of the 21st century.
“The Board of Peace will be the ultimate insurance policy against World War III,” Trump stated. “We spend trillions fighting wars—we can spend billions preventing them. This is common-sense leadership. Peace through strength, but also peace through smart investment.”
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the Board of Peace will function as an independent, non-governmental organization with a mandate to:
- Identify emerging conflict risks through advanced data analytics, AI-driven early-warning systems, and on-the-ground intelligence.
- Facilitate high-level, back-channel diplomacy between adversarial nations and non-state actors.
- Fund mediation, confidence-building measures, and post-conflict reconstruction in fragile regions.
- Support grassroots peace-building, youth leadership programs, and interfaith dialogue initiatives worldwide.
- Operate with full transparency, publishing annual audited financial reports and impact assessments.
The board will be governed by a 15-member international panel comprising former heads of state, retired military leaders, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, business executives, religious figures, and conflict-resolution experts. Initial names have not yet been released, though Trump indicated that invitations have already been extended to several prominent global figures.
The $10 billion pledge is structured as a multi-year endowment, with the principal invested conservatively to generate perpetual income for operations. Trump stated that additional private-sector and philanthropic contributions will be actively sought, but emphasized that the initiative will remain independent of government funding “so it can speak truth to power without political strings.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the donation is entirely private and does not involve U.S. taxpayer funds. She confirmed that the President has directed the Treasury Department and relevant ethics offices to review the arrangement for compliance with federal disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules.
- Reaction to the announcement was swift and polarized:
- Supporters, including several Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators, praised the move as visionary and unprecedented. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called it “a historic act of statesmanship that puts money where Trump’s mouth has always been—peace through strength and smart prevention.”
- Critics, including prominent Democrats and some foreign-policy analysts, questioned the timing, motives, and feasibility. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-MD) described the initiative as “a PR stunt dressed up as philanthropy” and raised concerns about lack of congressional oversight and potential foreign influence risks.
- International responses varied. The United Nations Secretary-General’s spokesperson welcomed any genuine effort to reduce conflict but stressed that sustainable peace requires multilateral frameworks. Several Middle Eastern and African governments expressed cautious interest, while European Union officials have yet to comment officially.
The announcement comes amid ongoing global hotspots, including the continued war in Ukraine, tensions in the Middle East, and instability in Sudan and the Sahel region. President Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for “preventing World War III” during his first term and has positioned himself as a master deal-maker capable of brokering peace where others have failed.
Details on the operational timeline, initial board composition, headquarters location (rumored to be in Florida or the Middle East), and specific conflict-prevention priorities remain limited. A formal launch event is expected within the next 60–90 days, according to White House sources.
The $10 billion pledge, if fulfilled, would rank among the largest single philanthropic commitments in modern history, surpassing many established foundations in scale. Whether the Board of Peace can translate financial resources into measurable reductions in global conflict will likely be judged over the coming decade.
For now, the initiative has injected a dramatic new element into the international peace and security discourse—and once again placed President Trump at the center of global attention.
