DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on January 23, 2026
Just days after Trump signed the charter for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum, The Guardian released a cartoon that tore the whole concept apart.
The cartoon shows Trump seated at the head of a long conference table, hosting the first meeting of his Board of Peace. The guests are not diplomats or statesmen. They are villains. Darth Vader sits nearby, symbolizing raw power and fear. The Joker grins with chaos written all over his face. Mr. Burns watches quietly, dripping with greed and elite control. Cruella de Vil appears cold and ruthless. A Hannibal Lecter-type figure hangs restrained in the background, dangerous even when tied up.
The Guardian publishes a cartoon on Donald Trump and his ‘board of peace’ pic.twitter.com/2MFU9GSeDS
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 22, 2026
The meaning landed without a doubt.
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Only hours before, Trump had been in Davos, boasting about the Board of Peace as a bold alternative to the United Nations. He called it a smarter, faster way to manage global conflicts. He praised himself endlessly and insisted the world was safer with him in charge.
The internet had other plans. Reactions flooded in, mocking the pomp and pointing out the disconnect.
BORED OF PEACE -Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/OBuH73xrYk
— Nejeeb Bello Oyarese (@NejeebBello) January 23, 2026
Even the joker didn’t think of calling his goons “the board of peace”….the ridiculousness is up there with his “truth” social.
— TrevBuild (@BuildTrev) January 23, 2026
I’m surprised they left Hitler and Stalin out.
— NoLies (@kutymakok) January 22, 2026
Nah, Joker would have too much integrity to be there.
— Ricardo Santos (@RealRXantos) January 23, 2026
How are these characters somehow LESS EVIL than the REAL members?
— Brot’Quel 🇮🇹 🔱 (@QuelBrot) January 23, 2026
For Trump, this kind of mockery cuts deep.
He has always struggled more with ridicule than with criticism. Policy attacks can be dismissed as partisan noise. Cartoons are harder to shake. They strip away the words and leave only the feeling.
What made the cartoon hit even harder was how closely it matched growing doubts about the Board of Peace itself.
Trump says the Board will end wars and bring stability through his influence and personal deals. Critics, however, see an initiative that looks more like an exclusive club with high costs, limited broad backing, and uncertain ties to established peace efforts like the United Nations, which some major allies have declined to join or have voiced reservations about.
Featured image via X screengrab
