Trump wants $10 billion of taxpayer money for his “Board of Peace”—and he’s not planning to ask Congress for it.
Speaking at the board’s inaugural meeting in Washington Thursday, Trump assured viewers that $10 billion was “a very small number when you look at that compared to the cost of war.”
There’s just one problem: Transferring billions of taxpayer dollars requires congressional approval. Trump hasn’t gotten that, and based on his track record, he probably doesn’t intend to.
OH, and Trump reportedly plans to remain the head of the “Board of Peace” even after he leaves the presidency. It’s a lifetime appointment (that he gave to himself).
This is all part of a pattern. Trump has already launched a unilateral war against foreign drug smugglers, ordering deadly extrajudicial strikes on boats the government claims—but refuses to prove—are carrying drugs. Eleven people were killed as recently as Monday. He mounted a massive military operation to depose Venezuela’s president and steal that country’s oil, all without Congress ever declaring war.
Now he wants to use American money to facilitate Jared Kushner’s “master plan” for Gaza—what critics have called another luxury real estate grift.
Even if Trump did ask Congress, they’d probably say no. Democrats and the White House are currently deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, resulting in a partial government shutdown. With midterm elections looming, Republicans may not be eager to approve a massive foreign policy slush fund while trying to convince voters they still put America first.
There is another pot of money Trump could tap. He previously sold permanent seats on his board for $1 billion each, but refused to say where that money was going.
The board’s charter makes almost no mention of Gaza. Its stated goals are vague—”promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”—broad enough to justify almost anything.
France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, and the Vatican all refused to join. Trump warned those who declined his invitation not to “play cute” with him.
Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed peacemaker has assembled the second-greatest collection of air power in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion, with 13 warships, a fleet of aircraft, and a second aircraft carrier on the way. Israel raised its alert level Wednesday, indicating a joint attack on Iran could be imminent.
“We have to make a meaningful deal, otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said Thursday, in the diplomatic style of a mob boss.
That is, before he fell asleep at his own meeting.