Nearly Half of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Members Are Blocked from the U.S. Under His Own Rules

President Donald Trump set out to sell a bold idea to the world this week. Instead he sparked a fresh round of mockery. Nearly half of the countries on his new Board of Peace are banned from entering the United States under his own travel rules.

Trump unveiled the board on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The event had bright lights, a packed room, and the kind of confidence he favors. He called the group an alternative to the United Nations and said it would deliver real results.

Standing on stage, Trump welcomed leaders from several countries. He smiled, waved, and told the crowd he was close with all of them. “Friends” was the word he chose, which is always doing a lot of work.

The list included Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. It was a wide mix that looked global at first glance.

Yet the gaps were hard to miss. No major European country appeared on the stage. That absence drew attention after reports that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been invited to join but did not attend.

The bigger problem came from Washington. Earlier this year, Trump imposed a stricter travel ban that blocks immigration and entry from dozens of countries. His administration suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 nations.

Many of those nations now sit on his Board of Peace. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are all subject to the visa limits. In other words, some board members may struggle to visit the country hosting the board.

That awkward detail raised questions about the purpose of a peace body whose members are partly shut out. Trump brushed aside any doubts and praised the effort in sweeping terms. “This board has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created,” he said.

The board grew out of Trumps role in a United States brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Members are expected to contribute one billion dollars to join. Peace, it seems, also comes with a membership fee.

At the opening session, Trumps son in law Jared Kushner revealed images of a future Gaza. The pictures showed luxury apartments, a data center, and what he called “coastal tourism.” The designs looked more like a real estate pitch than a recovery plan.

Jared Kushner presenting this morning at the “Board of Peace” ceremony their mock ups of “New Gaza” & “New Rafah.” pic.twitter.com/zWuhhqPVz1

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) January 22, 2026

The presentation included computer created images of tall buildings and clean streets. It also outlined plans for more than 100,000 housing units and 75 medical facilities. Critics noted that the images skipped over the current reality on the ground.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair was named as a board member, a move that quickly stirred debate. Trump himself will chair the group, placing him firmly at the center of both the praise and the blame.

Addressing the gathering, Trump tied global peace to American strength. “When America booms, the entire world booms,” he said. “This board has the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created and it’s my enormous honour to serve as its chairman.”

He added a broader claim about past efforts. “The board of peace is composed of the top leaders in the world, actually,” Trump said. “Last October, we released a plan for the permanent end to the conflict in Gaza – and I’m pleased to say that our vision was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council.”

Trump said the board would ensure Gaza is demilitarised. His secretary of state Marco Rubio tried to sharpen the pitch, saying it would also be a “board of action.” What that action looks like remains unclear.

The plans echo a flashy video released last year that showed Gaza remade as a sunny riviera. It featured Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk strolling through a polished future that exists only on screen. For now, the Board of Peace seems caught between grand visions and the fine print of a travel ban.

Featured image via YouTube screengrab