‘Let’s take this with us’: Trump jokes with Vance moments after slamming ‘golden gavel’ to end Board of Peace meeting

WorldPolitics
21 Feb 2026 • 2:04 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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This is the moment that Donald Trump joked with JD Vance about ‘taking’ a golden gavel with him following the inaugural Board of Peace meeting.

On Thursday (19 February), delegates from nearly 50 countries gathered for the first Board of Peace meeting in Washington. Twenty-seven of the countries have joined the board, whilst the others came as observers.

Footage shows the US president hitting the table with the gavel to signal the end of the meeting, before shaking hands with JD Vance. “We’ll take it with us,” he tells him with a smile on his face, appearing to reference the gavel.

He then proceeds to stand up and mingle with the attendees. He does not appear to put the gavel down, prompting some on social media to suggest he took the gavel with him.

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