The Nobel Peace Prize was announced on Friday, Oct. 2…and President Donald Trump didn’t win. In a year in which he waged war with Iran, raised the cost of living around the United States and aggressively deported millions of people, Trump still thought this year was his.
At what was supposed to be a rally for republican candidates in Syracuse, New York, Trump designated a lengthy portion of his speech to express his dissatisfaction.
“The Nobel Prize was given out today to a liberal person who nobody has ever heard of,” he said. However, the world has heard of Navi Pillay, this year’s recipient.
Born in South Africa, Pillay was an essential part of the anti-apartheid movement, served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as a judge and led the UN commission that determined that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Immediately after it was presented, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the award, calling the committee “misguided.” Trump took it a step further, condemning the entire country of Norway, instead of the Nobel Committee.
“This is an indelible stain on the country,” he said.
Defending his claim that he deserved to win, Trump continued to make unsubstantiated assertions. In a Truth Social post, he claimed to have “saved more lives than anyone in history” and ended eight international conflicts.
Yet, the Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded based on a leader’s perception of their own accomplishments. It is a symbol of peace and not a statement of which person did more. While Trump has repeatedly emphasized his role in resolving conflict, his own administration’s actions contradict principles of international cooperation.
There’s always next year, Mr. President!