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By Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump veered off script during Thursday’s Board of Peace remarks, offering an aside about Paraguayan President Santiago Peña’s youth and appearance as he welcomed him.
“It’s always nice to be young and handsome. It doesn’t mean we have to like you. I don’t like young, handsome men. Women—I like. Men, I don’t have any interest,” Trump says as chuckles can be heard among those gathered for the multinational event in Washington, D.C.
Trump's remark took off on X Thursday afternoon.
Read More on U.S.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña: What To Know
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, 47, is an economist and former finance minister who took office in August 2023 after winning the presidency as the candidate of the long‑dominant Colorado Party. Born in Asunción in 1978, Peña is the youngest president of Paraguay’s democratic era. He holds a degree in economics from the Catholic University of Asunción and a master’s in public administration from Columbia University in New York City.
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Before entering elected politics, Peña built a career in public finance, serving in senior roles at Paraguay’s central bank and later as finance minister from 2015 to 2017. He also worked at the International Monetary Fund and taught economics at universities in Paraguay and the United States. Peña previously sought the presidency in 2018 but lost his party’s primary before securing the nomination and winning the 2023 election, positioning himself as a technocratic leader focused on economic stability and growth.
Peña is married to Leticia Ocampos, an architect who serves as Paraguay’s first lady. The couple married in 1997 and have two children together, a son and a daughter.
Peña posted after the Board of Peace meeting, "Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for inviting Paraguay to be part of this transformative initiative for peace. It was an honor to participate in the Peace Council and reaffirm our commitment to dialogue and international cooperation to promote real solutions to global conflicts. Paraguay knows the pain of war and the value of peace. That is why, as a founding member, we feel deeply committed to and identified with this important cause."
What People Are Saying
Carlos Montero, reporter for Spanish broadcaster Telefe Noticias, posted on X, "Trump has no filter! This is how he introduced the president of #Paraguay"
Journalist Mehdi Hasan posted, "BUT AOC PAUSED FOR 20 SECONDS TO ANSWER A QUESTION!!!!!"
Board of Peace Meeting: What Was Announced?
Speaking before representatives from nearly 50 countries, Trump announced Thursday at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace that nine nations have agreed to pledge a combined $7 billion toward a relief package for Gaza.
He said the pledges came from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait.
While the amount is significant, it represents only a fraction of the roughly $70 billion that international estimates say would be required to rebuild the war‑damaged Palestinian territory. The funding announcement came as a fragile ceasefire hangs over Trump’s stated ambition for the Board of Peace to rival the United Nations in resolving global conflicts.
As part of a proposed international stabilization effort, Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have pledged to contribute thousands of troops to Gaza, according to U.S. Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, commander of the international security force. Egypt and Jordan have committed to training police, Jeffers said.
Trump also announced that the United States would pledge $10 billion to support the Board of Peace, though he did not specify how the funds would be allocated or over what time frame.
The White House has provided few details about the structure or authority of the board, which Trump has promoted as a new forum for coordinating international peace and reconstruction efforts.
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Updates: 2/19/26, 4:48 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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