Four US presidents have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize so far. The 47th US President, Donald Trump, also eyes it, claiming to have ended at least seven wars in recent times. But can he join the ranks as the earlier four?
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 will be announced on October 10. At least four have claimed to nominate Donald Trump for the prestigious honour.
They included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Representative Buddy Carter, and the governments of Pakistan and Cambodia.
But can Trump get his first Nobel Peace Prize 2025? Here we explain:
Who are the four US presidents who received Nobel Peace Prize?
1. Theodore Roosevelt (1906): Received the prize for having negotiated peace in the Russo-Japanese war in 1904-1905. The was the first time the award was controversial.
2. Woodrow Wilson (1919): The Nobel Peace Prize 1919 was awarded to Thomas Woodrow Wilson “for his role as founder of the League of Nations.” It was to ensure world peace after the killing of millions of people in the First World War. He received his Nobel Prize for 1919 one year later, in 1920.
3. Jimmy Carter (2002): He was awarded “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development” The high point of his presidential term was the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
4. Barack Obama (2009): The Nobel Committee lauded Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”
Can Trump be the 5th President to get Nobel Peace Prize?
US President Trump has long held the belief that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. He has claimed to “end seven wars” since taking office in 2017.
This includes the India-Pakistan conflict that broke out in May this year. Trump claimed he “stopped” the India-Pakistan conflict earlier in May with trade — a claim rejected by India.
What do experts say?
Experts’ opinions contradict Trump’s views on his peace-making efforts. They reportedly feel that there are no concrete achievements to date from the president.
Meanwhile, experts told The Associated Press that the Nobel Committee is unlikely to award Trump the prize for his second-term achievements so far.
1. ‘Trump’s own record may work against him’
Experts said the Norwegian Nobel Committee typically focuses on the durability of peace, the promotion of international fraternity and the quiet work of institutions that strengthen those goals.
Trump’s own record might even work against him, experts were quoted by the AP as saying, citing his apparent disdain for multilateral institutions and his disregard for global climate change concerns.
“I don’t think they would award the most prestigious prize in the world to someone who does not believe in climate change,” Theo Zenou, a historian and research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told ABC News.
2. Durability of peace
Some experts claimed that the Norwegian Nobel Committee tends to favour ongoing multilateral peace efforts over quick diplomatic wins.
Theo Zenou said that Trump’s efforts have not yet been proven to be long-lasting. “There’s a huge difference between getting fighting to stop in the short-term and resolving the root causes of the conflict,” Zenou was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Kristin Sandvik from the Peace Research Institute Oslo, said, “For Trump, we need to see what achievements will stick and what kind of peace is left a couple of years from now.”
“He certainly has not been dismissed and has made a very serious effort to talk about peace, but you need to do more than trying [sic],” Professor Sandvik reportedly said.
3. Trump lobbying himself
A person cannot nominate themselves, but Trump has said repeatedly that he “deserves” the prize and claims to have “ended seven wars.”
Without pointing anyone out, a Nobel committee official said that a person lobbying himself/herself for the Nobel Peace Prize can be counterproductive.
“These types of influence campaigns have a rather negative effect than a positive one,” Deputy leader of the present Nobel committee Asle Toje told Reuters.
“Some candidates push for it really hard, and we do not like it,” Toje added. He, however, said he was speaking generally about lobbying and not about any particular candidate.
Nobel Peace Prize 2025 will be announced on October 10.
