Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize if North Korea ends its nuclear program, says Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) wants to make sure President Trump gets credit where credit is due.

In a Friday morning Fox News appearance, Graham said that Trump would be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize if his negotiations lead to denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

"It wouldn't have happened without Trump," said Graham, referring to a Friday announcement that South Korea's Moon Jae-in and North Korea's Kim Jong Un had pledged to pursue denuclearization. "Donald Trump convinced North Korea and China, he was serious about bringing about change. We're not there yet, but if this happens, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize." Former President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, just 11 months after taking office, with his prioritization of global denuclearization being a major factor.

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In lauding Trump's methods, Graham told Fox News that Trump was right to ignore criticism of his harsh words for Kim. Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury" via Twitter last year, and nicknamed Kim "Little Rocket Man." Some lawmakers believed the tweets would further antagonize Kim, but Graham said that Trump's "maximum pressure" strategy has paid off.

Despite his excitement over the progress with North Korea, Graham had a warning for Kim. "Donald Trump will not tolerate being played," he said, "We're either going to have peace or we're going to have a war now, because Kim Jong Un has made a mistake if he's not serious."