A Nobel Peace Prize for Trump?

Two Norwegian lawmakers from the center-right Progress Party have nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize:

“Through his untraditional style, President Trump has contributed to a breakthrough in the relationship with North-Korea. […] Much work remains before it can be determined whether Trump’s initiative has been successful, herein verifiable denuclearization of North-Korea. Awarding the peace prize to the president could, however, contribute to supporting the fresh but fragile process.”

Only a few months ago, such a nomination would have seemed unthinkable to almost everyone regardless of political persuasion. However, the peace talks with North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong Un in Singapore has bumped Trump to the top of the list in the eyes of many.

Not a given

But even with a successful peace treaty between North and South Korea and a full denuclearization, Trump is by no means an obvious laureate.

In recent years, the prize has lost some of its prestige after a string of botched awards. President Barrack Obama, for instance, was selected, apparently simply for having a pulse.

The Prize has a long history of leaning left. One of the most obvious candidates in history who never won was President Ronald Reagan. He was instrumental in ending the Cold War, but the snobbish Nobel Committee ignored the cowboy and unilaterally credited Gorbachev as the great peacemaker.

That could very well happen again.

A plausible scenario

If the current process ends well – and that’s a very big “if” – it would most likely involve North and South Korea signing a permanent peace treaty and the normalization of relations with the outside world. It is not unlikely that this would be the official justification for the peace prize. In that case, it will be jointly awarded to Chairman Kim and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea.

If that happens, however, many people will be red-pilled by the obviously unfair sidestepping of Trump. This would actually strengthen his position.

Another possible outcome

But we should not be surprised if Trump does become a Nobel laureate. Unlike Reagan, he is a master at branding and marketing. This process has his signature all over it, so much so that it would be near impossible to bypass him without creating an embarrassing situation for the Nobel Committee.

If he wins, he comes out ahead too. The usual suspects on the far left will hiss and grunt and moan, but most people will recognize that the prize is well-deserved – assuming a successful outcome.

Some mind reading

What did President Trump say to Kim that was so persuasive? We can merely speculate, but it could easily have been something along the following lines:

“Look, I understand you are skeptical. Even if you can trust me, future American presidents may want you to end up like Gaddafi. There is only one way you can avoid that, and that is to make permanent peace with South Korea and thaw out your country. If you do that and start denuclearizing, no-one can touch you.

But you need to do it before the next presidential election. With me as president, you have a unique window of opportunity now that may never come again. If you do it, I will help you build up your economy in no time, and you’ll be a hero to your people.”

What’s next?

We have discussed Trump’s motives for the North Korean deal earlier at Liberty Nation. A major diplomatic win will give him far more leeway in domestic politics as well as in foreign policy. Who will moan about Russian collusion if he ends the Korean war?

In fact, success in North Korea allows him to do the same with other countries. If he can turn North Korea into a friend, why not Iran? And why should Russia be out in the cold? Trump is exceptionally good at surfing a wave of enthusiasm. Once he gets going, he might be going big league for world peace.