Trump's Quest for the Nobel Peace Prize: A Closer Look at the White House Campaign
Last week, during a White House press briefing, a reporter brought up the upcoming announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee on October 10. The reporter asked President Donald Trump if he had marked the date on his calendar. Trump responded by saying he was not campaigning for the award, despite the White House releasing a list of foreign officials who had nominated him for the prize shortly after his statement.
There has been a concerted effort by White House officials and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to push for Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Foreign leaders have also nominated him in hopes of gaining favor with the American president. Trump himself has expressed his desire for the award and listed reasons why he believes he should be honored with it.
Recent reports indicate that the White House and Trump's aides are ramping up their public campaign to secure the Nobel Peace Prize for the president. Despite Trump's claim that he is not actively seeking the award, his actions suggest otherwise.
The extent to which the White House is willing to go to lobby for the Nobel Peace Prize for Trump remains to be seen. Politico reported on a phone call between Trump and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, but details of the conversation were not disclosed. The official announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient is still 56 days away, leaving room for speculation on how the campaign for Trump will escalate in the coming weeks.