In the latest show of support amongst many calls from politicians, policy makers, and members of the general public to award President Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, two Norwegian members of parliament have written a strong nomination letter to reinforce this suggestion. The formal nomination letter, penned by Christian Tybring-Gjedde and Per-Willy Amundsen, details the strong negotiating stance taken by Trump, relating it to a similar strategy employed by former President Theodore Roosevelt, an iconic figure that served as 26th President of the United States. The two public servants are members of Norway’s conservative Norwegian Progress Party, Fox News reports.
“What’s happening now is historic,” Amundsen relayed to state broadcaster NRK . “A process is underway to ensure world peace in the future. It’s a fragile process, but we must of course do what we can to help this process bring good results. I think that we can do by sending a clear signal by giving Trump the peace prize.”
The nomination letter goes on to compare President Trump’s hard-nosed negotiation style, which relies on maximum leverage and strong economic sanctions to suggest a path forward, to that utilized by Roosevelt when he was tasked with negotiating the diplomatic minefield between both belligerents after the Japanese-Russian war at the outset of the 20th century.
“Both President Roosevelt and President Trump show that government leaders who are not afraid to show that they are willing to use power can be tools for peace.”
This latest show of support from the Norwegian party members echoes the position offered up by a group of 18 Republican congressmen who offered unconditional endorsement of President Trump and his viability for consideration of the Nobel Peace Prize this year, USA Today reported. In the Republican letter, President Trump is credited not only with his ceaseless efforts to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table for the prospect of denuclearization – an agreement signed in principle by both men at the recent summit in Singapore – but also in creating economic pressure on China, which resulted in them withdrawing some vital trade and supply chain supports to the North Korean leadership.
President Trump, for his part, has remained largely removed from direct discussion of his chances. His supporters, however, can be heard chanting “Nobel” on various occasions at his rallies. The current American president has been formally nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize since May of this year, according to the Telegraph .
Former President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”, although the decision was highly controversial. Critics of the move, and even Obama himself, were puzzled by the timing of the award and some opined that the 44th President of the United States was a man of many words but infrequent action, according to the BBC . In 2015, Nobel Prize Committee Secretary Geir Lundestad said that he regretted the decision to give the award to Obama. Former President Obama oversaw a nation at war for the entirety of both of his terms, the LA Times reported , and during his two terms of office, the nation was responsible for dropping more military ordnance than any previous administration.
President Trump, though a controversial figure, may end up receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts should the summit, and those following, result in denuclearization of the rogue state and the beginnings of a move towards modernization and integration of the North Korean people into the global community.
