Nobel Prize for Trump?
Republican US Congress members nominate him for Korea peace efforts
Photo: Flickr
President Donald Trump for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the ongoing peace process on the Korean peninsula
The Local
Eighteen Republican lawmakers from the United States have sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in which they recommend President Donald Trump for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the ongoing peace process on the Korean peninsula.
The signatures come from U.S. House of Representatives Republicans, led by Indiana’s Luke Messer. The letter containing them was published on Wednesday, addressed to Norwegian Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen.
In the letter, the lawmakers claim Trump should “receive the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work to end the Korean War, denuclearize the Korean peninsula and bring peace to the region.”
“Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons programs and bring peace to the region. His administration successfully united the international community, including China, to impose one of the most successful international sanctions regimes in history,” the letter continues.
“We can think of no one more deserving of the committee’s recognition in 2019 than President Trump for his tireless work to bring peace to our world,” the signatories conclude.
During the latter part of 2017, Pyongyang exchanged warlike threats with Trump, who famously used the nickname “Rocket Man” in reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in tweets as well as in an address to the United Nations general assembly in September, where he also threatened to “totally destroy” the communist state.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has also said Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, media including the South China Morning Post reported earlier this week. Moon cited Trump’s efforts to end the stand-off with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.
“President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. What we need is only peace,” the South Korean president told a meeting of senior secretaries, according to the South China Morning Post report.
Moon and Kim pledged at a historic summit last week to end hostilities between their countries and work toward the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean peninsula.
Nominations for a Nobel Prize can only be made by people who belong to a small number of categories, including members of a national legislation body, university professors, and former winners of the prize.
The award is announced annually in December. More than 300 people have been nominated for the 2018 prize.
The Nobel Committee does not publish the list of nominations for the peace prize. According to committee rules, the list of nominees, as well as the identity of those who nominated them, must be kept secret for 50 years following the awarding of the prize, NRK writes.
But backers occasionally reveal their choice of nomination for the award, as is the case in this instance.
This article originally appeared in the May 18, 2018, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
