President Donald Trump shared that he does not like “young, handsome men” during the first long-awaited Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C. The event, which focused on next steps in the fragile Gaza ceasefire, had Trump’s off-script remarks alongside major funding announcements tied to the initiative.
Donald Trump says he doesn’t like ‘handsome men’ during meeting
Speaking at the United States Institute of Peace on February 19, Donald Trump welcomed Paraguay’s president, Santiago Peña, to the gathering. “President, thank you very much,” Trump said. “Young, handsome guy. It’s always nice to be young and handsome.”
The president then added, “Doesn’t mean we have to like you. I don’t like young, handsome men.” Clarifying his stance, Trump continued: “Women? That I like. Men, no… I don’t have any interest,” followed by a brief laugh.
At another point during the board of peace meeting, the president revisited another moment from his September 2025 appearance at the United Nations that was in the news. Although he claims he maintains a “good relationship” with the international organization, Trump said, “In my last speech, they did turn off my teleprompter.” He continued, “My teleprompter didn’t work… I’m sitting in front of all of you and more… I had no teleprompter.”
The president also recounted a separate incident from the same UN trip involving First Lady Melania Trump. The pair became stuck on an escalator that stopped functioning shortly after they boarded. “I was lucky my movie star first lady was in front of me, because I put my hand on a certain part of her body and I was able to stop my fall,” Trump told the audience, laughing at the memory.
Returning to the official purpose of the board of peace meeting, Trump announced that board members had committed $7 billion for reconstruction in Gaza. He additionally pledged $10 billion from the United States to the Board of Peace initiative, according to NBC.
