World leaders who accepted the invitation of President Donald Trump to join his new peace board were greeted in Washington on Thursday with a mix of fanfare and personal flattery. While the U.S. president has been chummy with world leaders in the past, he has typically leaned in to a good-cop-bad-cop routine, alternating between praise and threats as his interests dictate. It was only those who did not attend the inaugural meeting of the board in Washington who received an ominous warning: "You can't play cute with me," Trump said. As leaders huddled for a group photo, the event's soundtrack set the tone, as James Brown's 1966 song, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," blared overhead. Trump also told stories in which he portrayed himself as having coerced leaders into doing what he wanted.

Source: The Telegraph February 20, 2026 05:55 UTC