Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize - again

Two Norwegian politicians have nominated Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, following the lead of US Republicans.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde and Per-Willy Amundsen, both members of the country’s anti-immigration Progress Party, said Trump should win the 2019 award because of his efforts to secure the nuclear disarmament of North Korea, according to NRK, Norway’s state broadcaster.

The pair said Trump “had taken a huge and important step in the direction of the disarmament, peace and reconciliation between North and South Korea”.

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The nomination raised eyebrows as although Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a joint statement that establishes the intention to work towards peace between the two countries, “there is little concrete evidence that the document will lead to complete denuclearisation in the near future”, says Vox.

However, Amundsen told 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 yield good results. I believe we can accomplish this by sending a clear signal, namely by awarding Trump the Nobel Peace Prize”.

A group of US Republican politicians also “nominated Trump for the prize in May”, reports Sky News. The broadcaster suggests that Trump could count on support from Boris Johnson, who said in May that Trump deserved to be in the running for the honour.

“If he can fix North Korea, and he can fix the Iran nuclear deal,” Johnson said, “then I don't see why he's any less of a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize than Barack Obama, who got it before he even did anything.”

Former president Barack Obama won the award in 2009 after less than nine months in office.

The prize is one of the world’s most prestigious and is awarded each year by the foundation to the person who “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”, according to the will of Alfred Nobel, which established the committee.

A record 330 people were nominated for the 2018 award.