Trump Praises Prabowo at Board of Peace Meeting: He's a Tough Man, I Wouldn't Want to Fight Him
US President Donald Trump praised Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, calling him “a very tough man” whom he would not want to “fight against”.
Trump made the remarks during his opening speech as he greeted each head of state attending the inaugural Board of Peace summit in Washington DC on Thursday, 19 February 2026.
“This is a man I really like, he is a very tough person, I wouldn’t want to fight him — President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia,” Trump said during the live stream on the White House YouTube channel.
Trump described Prabowo as a great man for leading a large nation like Indonesia, with a population of 240 million people.
“I asked how many people are in Indonesia. He said ‘about 240 million people’. I said, ‘no, no, say it again — how many? You have a very big country’,” Trump said, recounting his exchange with Prabowo.
Trump went on to praise Prabowo for performing his duties exceptionally well and being widely respected.
“You have done a tremendous job and are respected by everyone. Thank you for being here, thank you very much, Mr President,” Trump said.
Prabowo, wearing a grey suit and black peci, smiled and saluted in response to Trump’s praise.
At the inaugural Gaza Board of Peace summit in Washington DC, President Prabowo attended at the invitation of President Trump, who served as host and initiator of the Board of Peace. Prabowo was set to deliver a national statement at the meeting.
Several other member-state leaders were also in attendance, including those from Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Pakistan, Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Egypt. Representatives from Belarus, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Israel were also present.
The programme comprised an opening address by President Trump, presentations by key Board of Peace figures, national statements from member-state leaders, followed by a vote and the adoption of a resolution.