Speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, President Donald Trump warned anew that “bad things will happen” if Iran refuses to make a deal on its nuclear program. Trump said the world will find out “over the next, probably, ten days.”
President Donald Trump is in Georgia Thursday for a trip designed to help boost Republicans’ political standing heading into the midterms.
In the battleground state, the president is expected to zero in on economic issues. The White House has long said Trump would focus more on the economy, and he frequently complains that he doesn’t get enough credit for it. But recent months have been dominated by other issues, including deadly clashes during deportation efforts in Minneapolis.
Trump began the day by announcing at his inaugural Board of Peacemeeting that nine members have agreed to pledge a combined $7 billionfor a Gaza relief package and five countries agreed to deploy troops for an international stabilization force in the war-battered Palestinian territory.
But $7 billion is only a fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza, where a shaky ceasefire deal looms over Trump’s ambitions for his board to rival the United Nations in solving world conflicts.
What to know:
- Countries that have said they’ll join the Board of Peace include Argentina, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kosovo, Morocco, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. See the full list of countries that have joined, opted out or haven’t decided.
- Trump’s vision for the board has morphed since he initiated the group as part of his 20-point peace plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Since the October ceasefire, Trump wants it to have an even more ambitious remit — one that will not only complete the Herculean task of bringing lasting peace between Israel and Hamas but will also help resolve conflicts around the globe.
- Questions about disarming Hamas will be central to the board’s future discussions. A key demand of Israel and a cornerstone of the ceasefire deal is the creation of an armed international stabilization force to keep security and ensure the disarmament of the militant Hamas group. But Hamas has provided little confidence that it is willing to move forward on disarmament.
Tariffs
He kicked off his remarks at a Georgia steel company by complaining about the fact that many of his tariffs have been challenged and are waiting a ruling from the Supreme Court that could come as soon as Friday .
“I have to wait for this decision!” Trump said. “I’ve been waiting forever!”
Reaching a yell at several points, Trump said of his imposition of tariffs, “I have the right to do it as president.”
“What a country,” he said. “So sad.”
In 2025, the U.S. trade deficit in goods and services only slightly decreased, with data showing a mere 0.2% drop from 2024 to $901.5 billion, contradicting claims of a massive reduction because of the tariffs
The Supreme Court has gone more than three months without issuing a decision since it heard oral arguments on the legality of President Donald Trump’s worldwide tariffs, as evidence of the potential fallout has emerged across Washington.
AP
