President Donald Trump hosted the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday morning, surrounded by members of his own cabinet, like JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Susie Wiles, and dozens of foreign heads of state and other dignitaries. While the subject at hand — peace in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza — was of a serious nature, the fact is that it almost felt more like some of the most important men in the world had gathered for a party. Trump was playing music and cracking jokes. There were smiles all around. Argentina's president, Javier Milei, even tried to get Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to join him while singing along to Elvis. It was the international karaoke moment we didn't know we needed.
🚨SHOCKING:
— Based Hungary 🇭🇺 (@HungaryBased) February 19, 2026
Milei and Orbán Share a Moment at the 'Board of Peace' Conference.
Hungary-Argentina Friendship Begins! 🇭🇺🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/WkCtdgFY6Z
The meeting was a momentous occasion that, as Marco Rubio said at the event, "the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, has both an ability and a willingness to use the power of his office to think outside the box."
He's right, and Trump is having fun doing it.
I'm going to stop right here and tell you that I've been sick for the last 48 or so hours — some kind of virus or mild flu or something — but aside from a little two-hour spurt I had on Wednesday night to do Venezuelan and Cuban updates, I've pretty much been in bed, which means that. unlike most days, I've been more of a consumer of the news than one who reports it.
And let me just tell you that the one thing that has stood out to me more than anything is that our president is having a darn good time leading this country.
While the Democrats wallow in their endless cycle of bitterness and hate and gloom and doom, Trump is embracing the presidency with unbridled joy and a celebration of the American spirit and the American people, whether it's a cultural moment, a major foreign policy event, or a little grassroots visit to a town in Georgia.
During that Board of Peace meeting, he spoke and made quite a few jokes. The funniest was the one about firing Rubio because he did such a good job giving his speech in Munich over the weekend.
"Marco does it with a velvet glove, but it's a kill," the president said on Thursday morning. He added, "Marco, you really did yourself proud two days ago in Munich, in fact, so proud that I almost terminated his employee. Because they were saying, 'Why can't Trump do this?' I do, but I say it differently. But Marco, don't do any better than you did, please, because if you do you're out of here."
It's worth watching just to see the look on Rubio's face:
The look on Marco Rubio’s face while Trump brings up his Munich speech is PRICELESS.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 19, 2026
This is awesome.
“He does it with a velvet glove…” pic.twitter.com/xdfVIQjA6x
Trump also joked about how "young and handsome" Paraguay's president, Santiago Peña, is: "It's always nice to be young and handsome. 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."
It was so dumb, but it was funny because it was just a reminder that this guy will say anything that pops into his head. I love it.
“I don’t like young handsome men. Women I like.”
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) February 19, 2026
Trump introducing Paraguay’s leader Santiago Peña, who is 47 years old. pic.twitter.com/QgpzRdTEvZ
By the way, this is President Peña. Maybe I need to make a "Hotties of the Western Hemisphere" calendar. But I digress.
Paraguay’s President @SantiPenap was among the first world leaders I met as Secretary of State, and we’ve found many ways to partner together over the last year. Good to see him again to discuss expanding U.S.-Paraguay investment opportunities and our shared commitment to… pic.twitter.com/e1wv5m6oVr
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 20, 2026
As Chris Queen wrote on Thursday, after hosting an impressive number of foreign dignitaries, the president hopped on a plane and flew down to my home state of Georgia to tour some businesses and do some campaigning, and again, he seemed to be having a great time, especially when he visited The Varsity, an iconic local restaurant that's been around nearly 100 years.
At one point, a man who'd received a lifetime achievement award from Joe Biden told the president he didn't want Biden's name on it. So, Trump marked it out and signed his own. It was a great moment.
A man at The Varsity in Rome, Georgia, asks @POTUS to cross out Biden's signature from his Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and replace it: "I don't want his name on there!" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Yb6R9vz5GA
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 19, 2026
The employees really enjoyed meeting the president, and he enjoyed meeting with him. As a matter of fact, he ordered burgers for his team to take back on Air Force One.
President Trump orders hamburgers from The Varsity to take back on Air Force One! 🍔🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XacsWKndjs
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) February 19, 2026
POTUS: “No Tax on Tips…was that a big factor for you?”
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) February 19, 2026
Varsity employee: “Thank you! thank you!” pic.twitter.com/a7xLciF7PA
When he spoke at Coosa Steel, he brought the most popular man in the state up on stage to say a few words, University of Georgia starting quarterback Gunner Stockton. "Gunner is a big star and a really talented quarterback," the president said. "But I heard, much more importantly, he's a Trump fan...and anybody that likes me, I like them."
That's our boy! #GoDawgs https://t.co/DlFC2XoVzB
— SarahDownSouth (@SarahDownSouth) February 20, 2026
When Georgia congressional candidate Clay Fuller told the president that his daughter missed school today to attend the event and got detention, Trump offered to "pardon" her. That was a cute moment. "Just tell the teacher I said it's fine."
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "You are fully pardoned, don't worry, just tell the teacher I said it's fine."
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 19, 2026
Trump issues a playful "pardon" to Georgia congressional candidate Clay Fuller’s daughter after he said she received detention for attending the president's speech. pic.twitter.com/eDwbPhgGb7
On Wednesday, Trump hosted a Black History Month event at the White House, and there were some great moments from that too. I'm just gonna post a couple of videos of the people who spoke, people whose lives the president has changed through his unapologetic actions. You could tell that he was enjoying these moments, but more importantly, it seemed like, again, he truly cared about them.
White House Pardon Czar @AliceMarieFree: "Only in America that there be a story like my story — and President Trump is the only president who had the courage; the courage to [hire] someone like me, someone who received a second chance." ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aasG76uvhh
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
This woman was amazing. The crowd erupted into cheers after she was done. At some point, I think there was a chant of "four more years."
WATCH: D.C. resident who lost her grandson to violence speaks at the White House: Thank God for this President... It seemed like nobody cared... nobody heard me—Democrats—until this Republican sent his people out there to interview me in my home... and we need the National Guard… pic.twitter.com/u6BKp7uuaJ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 18, 2026
I'll stop here because we aren't Twitchy.
Admittedly, I've been trying to write this article all day, but I was focused on the Board of Peace, and my sick brain was not cooperating. Later, I realized it wasn't that I was sick — it was that I was so overwhelmed by just how much fun I've watched the president have over the last few days. It's a great feeling to be proud of your country and its leadership again, and to know we have leadership who truly wants to make it great.
I already knew this, of course, but this was a wonderful reminder that leadership can look like joy, not the nonstop negativity we hear from the left. Love him or hate him, whether you voted for him or not, whether you agree with his policies or not, you have to have a dead, black heart not to see it.
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