On January 22, according to a White House press release, US president Donald Trump “ratified” the Charter of the Board of Peace, promising “a secure and prosperous future for Gaza that delivers lasting peace, stability, and opportunity for its people.”

I’ve seen a lot of media coverage regarding things like Trump’s $1 billion membership fee demand for countries wanting a seat on the board, which regimes are willing to pony up and which aren’t interested, etc. But a commenter — pseudonym “Skywalker” — on a website I work with (Antiwar.com) called my attention to some far more interesting details.

TL;DR: Donald Trump chairs the board, for life or until he doesn’t feel like chairing it anymore, enjoying absolute authority and choosing his own successor.

Longer version, in Q&A form with answers as direct quotes from the charter:

Q: Which states are represented on the Board of Peace?
A: “Membership in the Board of Peace is limited to States invited to participate by the Chairman” (who also has the power to remove those states).

Q: How will the board make decisions?
A: “Decisions shall be made by a majority of the Member States present and voting, subject to the approval of the Chairman.”

Q: How will subcommittees be chosen and operate?
A: “The Chairman may establish subcommittees as necessary or appropriate and shall set the mandate, structure, and governance rules for each such subcommittee.”

Q: How are disputes concerning the meaning or application of the board’s charter settled?
A: “[T]he Chairman is the final authority regarding the meaning, interpretation, and application of this Charter.”

Q: Who is the Chairman?
A: “Donald J. Trump shall serve as inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace …. Replacement of the Chairman may occur only following voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity, as determined by a unanimous vote of the Executive Board [remember, the Chairman gets a vote, and all actions of the board are subject to his approval], at which time the Chairman’s designated successor shall immediately assume the position …”

It’s not difficult to figure out what’s going on here.

The new organization is not a “Board of Peace,” it’s a “Board of Piece … of the Action for Donald Trump.”

We’ve already watched Trump knock down billions in new wealth as president, billing taxpayers for use of his own properties and tapping family and friends as proxies for everything from corporate takeovers to insider trading to cryptocurrency scams.

Now he’s setting himself up as all-powerful chairman for life of an organization that will handle — and hand out contracts disposing of — untold additional billions in Gaza aid.

Guess who will get those contracts?

Oh, for the good old days of the Biden family’s mere “10% for the Big Guy.”

Thomas L. Knapp (X: @thomaslknapp | Bluesky: @knappster.bsky.social | Mastodon: @knappster) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.

PUBLICATION/CITATION HISTORY