Trump blends diplomacy and praise at inaugural Peace Board meeting

By Bo Erickson, Trevor Hunnicutt and Gram Slattery

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - 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. On Thursday, those in attendance saw Trump at his most convivial.

There was no hint of the criticized human-rights records of some attendees. 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.

Who Joined and Who Declined

Gaza Reconstruction Funding and Pledges

A number of key U.S. allies have declined to join the forum set up by Trump in September for Gaza reconstruction but which he hopes can become a global conflict-resolution body. Critics say it risks interfering with the work of the United Nations.

Event Optics and Messaging

Tone and Presentation

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. 

Gaza is the board's first priority, but the Middle East conflict was not discussed in detail by Trump until 25 minutes into his welcome speech, as he focused first on complimenting the world leaders on the event stage, rating some of them on their good looks, wealth and strength.

Trump recited the names of the world leaders in attendance - as well as FIFA President Gianni Infantino - who were all seated on both sides of him on stage, some with red MAGA hats in front of them on the table.

"President (Santiago) Pena of Paraguay is here," Trump said, pointing out the 47-year-old leader, "Young handsome guy. 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."

Nonetheless, his interest in the male physique was apparent. At one point, he told the crowd to look at the "tough" face of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Tariff Leverage and Economic Pressure

Trump also told stories in which he portrayed himself as having coerced leaders into doing what he wanted. He told the crowd how he had used threats of tariffs to pressure some countries, such as India and Pakistan, into ending conflicts. India has firmly rejected this assertion.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

Board of Peace vs United Nations

The president suggested that his new board could overtake the United Nations in prominence. 

"The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations ... they need help," Trump said, digressing to recount his visit last year when he and first lady Melania Trump were stuck on an escalator in the UN headquarters in New York. 

"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," Trump said of the escalator incident.

In total, the president used the term "beautiful" at least 14 times in his speech to praise his administration's work and the event space, which was named after him.

U.S. Institute of Peace Renaming

He said it was Secretary of State Marco Rubio's idea to "surprise" him by renaming the U.S. Institute of Peace, where Thursday's event was held, in his honor. 

"I didn't know the surprise," Trump said, "I thought maybe they were going to give me a lot of money or something, maybe cash."

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Bo Erickson, and Gram Slattery, Editing by Ross Colvin and Matthew Lewis)