President Trump launches Board of Peace, visits Georgia amid DHS shutdown fight
Donald Trump is navigating both foreign and domestic challenges this week.
(NBC)- Donald Trump is navigating both foreign and domestic challenges this week, greeting world leaders at the inaugural meeting of his newly formed “Board of Peace” before traveling to Georgia to promote his economic agenda.
The visit to the battleground state comes as part of a broader effort to hit the campaign trail and energize Republicans ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
“Georgia is obviously a very important state to the president and to the Republican Party,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
The president is expected to focus his Georgia remarks on affordability and economic policy. His trip comes as some federal employees are working without pay due to a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security. The standoff centers on Democratic demands for reforms to ICE and Border Patrol enforcement tactics.
“The ball is back in the court of the White House, because they have our most recent response,” said Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader.
The White House has dismissed the Democratic proposal as unserious and confirmed that President Trump has not had recent direct discussions with Democratic leaders, despite previously indicating he would meet with them this week.
“I will. But you know, we have to protect our law enforcement. They’ve done a great job,” Trump said Monday.
The political divide is deepening as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott the president’s State of the Union address Tuesday and instead participate in a counterprogramming rally.
Meanwhile, Trump’s “Board of Peace” is drawing scrutiny internationally. Originally described as an initiative focused on reconstructing Gaza, the board has since expanded its scope. The White House says member states have pledged more than $5 billion toward aid and rebuilding efforts.
However, some longtime U.S. allies have expressed concern that the new body could undermine the United Nations. The Vatican announced that Pope Leo will not participate in the board, following similar decisions from allies including the United Kingdom and France.
“United Nations has great potential. They haven’t lived up to the potential. But I think they might aid us a little bit,” Trump said.
As the administration pushes forward on both international diplomacy and domestic economic messaging, the president faces mounting political pressure at home and skepticism abroad.
