By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
Few figures have captured the world’s attention like Current U.S. President Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States. Beyond the rallies, tweets, and business deals, there is one obsession that overshadows everything else: the Nobel Peace Prize. Yes, Trump seems determined to claim it, as if the world’s recognition of his genius is a birthright rather than an earned honor. The irony is spectacular, the spectacle unforgettable.
Trump’s fixation can be traced to 2009 when Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize barely months into his presidency. Many were surprised, some outraged. For Trump, however, it was a defining moment: the prize became a symbol of global approval that he believed should have been his. Since then, he has pursued it with the same intensity he once pursued a hotel deal, a reality show rating, or a political opponent.
Trump’s approach to leadership has always been performative, transactional, and deeply personal. Decisions are rarely measured by principles or outcomes. They are measured by optics, applause, and how they enhance his narrative. The Nobel Peace Prize, in Trump’s mind, is not an award. It is a confirmation that the world acknowledges Donald Trump as a genius, a hero, and a master negotiator.
> │ “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
│ – Maya Angelou
True peacemaking demands humility, empathy, and moral courage. Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel, by contrast, is about claiming recognition without demonstrating the qualities that actually merit it. Ceasefires become headlines, compliance becomes diplomacy, and media coverage becomes a trophy.
The irony deepens when we consider Trump’s advocates. It is not independent peace organizations or global humanitarians pushing for his Nobel. It is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a man with a record marred by accusations of war crimes and corruption. And yet Netanyahu champions Trump as a peacemaker. The spectacle is absurd. A man accused of perpetuating violence advocating for another to be honored as a peacemaker.
Trump claims to have brokered ceasefires and ended wars, including a recent Gaza truce he announced with fanfare. He boasts of ending eight wars and stabilizing volatile regions through his personal genius. Reality tells a different story. These wars were primarily fueled, supplied, and enabled by the United States government, with taxpayers paying for bombs, weapons, and military operations. When the supplier of the weapons declares that the war should end, who is left to resist? Trump takes credit for compliance achieved through power, not diplomacy, and labels it a triumph.
Netanyahu, eager to please his American patron, followed Washington’s directives. What Trump calls peacemaking was, in reality, top-down compliance by a political ally. Yet Trump frames it as his own victory, a testament to skill and moral authority. The public is expected to cheer while the victims of war are largely ignored.
Trump’s obsession with the Nobel is most evident in his own statements. He has suggested that failing to award him the prize would insult the American people. This reveals the narcissistic core of his quest. The Nobel Peace Prize is less about service to humanity than validation of his ego. It is a tool to solidify a legacy he imagines, not a recognition of deeds done.
Yet the Norwegian government and the Nobel Committee have been clear. The award process is independent. Lobbying, publicity stunts, or partnerships with controversial figures will not influence the committee. Peace cannot be bought, pressured, or demanded. It is earned through tangible, lasting impact, often at great personal or political cost.
Here lies the ultimate irony. Trump, a man who built his brand on spectacle, deals, and self-promotion, seeks a prize that honors selfless service to humanity. The wars he presided over, the military operations he enabled, and the policies that fueled destruction stand in stark contrast to the principles the Nobel Peace Prize represents. When wars end because the supplier of weapons commands it, can this be called peacemaking?
Trump’s methods raise profound ethical questions. His partnership with Netanyahu highlights the transactional nature of his diplomacy. Ceasefires are less about reconciliation and more about bolstering his brand. Peace becomes a tool, not a goal. American taxpayers fund the machinery of war, only to be told to celebrate it as humanitarian achievement. Civilians suffer, headlines proclaim success, and Trump claims glory.
Globally, this approach devalues the Nobel Peace Prize. Historically, it has honored leaders who risked their lives to reduce human suffering. Figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Malala Yousafzai, and Barack Obama all left tangible, lasting legacies. Peace is not a press release, tweet, or temporary ceasefire. It is sustained, systemic, and costly. Trump’s “peace” is superficial, conditional, and ephemeral. It is dictated by power, not earned through empathy or negotiation.
> │ Donald Trump, what about Ukraine, Sudan, and the other wars raging around the world? If you truly deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, end those wars. Then we will start to think about it. Your artificial ceasefires will not cut it.
Amid these global crises, one group truly embodies the spirit of peace and humanitarian courage: the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) in Sudan.
> │ The ERRs are grassroots Sudanese volunteers providing life-saving aid, shelter, and essential services to millions affected by war. Recognized internationally for their bravery and innovation, they represent the selfless, tangible impact the Nobel Peace Prize was meant to honor.
Unlike Trump’s artificial ceasefires, the ERRs risk their lives daily to protect their communities, ensuring that peace and survival reach those who need it most.
There is a dangerous precedent here. By equating coercion and compliance with peacemaking, Trump conflates authority with virtue. Leadership becomes a performance of moral accomplishment rather than actual courage. This diminishes the heroism of those who truly labor for peace under difficult circumstances.
What does this mean for the Nobel Peace Prize? Awards cannot be coerced. Lobbying, media campaigns, or alliances with controversial figures will not secure it. True peacemaking requires negotiation, compromise, sacrifice, and prioritizing human welfare over personal ambition. Trump’s pursuit demonstrates none of these qualities.
The moral lesson is clear. Awards cannot replace justice. Trump’s quest, fueled by ego and validation, is a cautionary tale. Peace cannot be claimed through tweets, press releases, or spectacle. It must be earned through tangible, lasting change.
While Donald Trump loudly proclaims his desire for the Nobel Peace Prize, facts reveal a stark reality. He does not deserve it. His ceasefires are orchestrated by power, not principle. His advocacy comes from controversial allies, not moral authority. His obsession with recognition is personal, not altruistic. The Nobel Peace Prize honors those who advance humanity through justice, reconciliation, and enduring peace. By these measures, Trump falls dramatically short.
> │ “I have invented a thousand things. A thousand things that make war easier, but never a single thing to make men love one another.”
│ – Alfred Nobel
If peace is measured by empathy, reconciliation, and selflessness, then commanding ceasefires from afar is a far cry from Nobel-worthy achievement.
The irony is extraordinary. A man who commands compliance and thrives on spectacle seeks an award meant to honor humility, courage, and altruism. The world watches, bemused, as Trump campaigns for a prize that cannot be won through ego. Ceasefire, yes. Nobel Peace Prize, no. That requires moral fortitude, selflessness, and sustained impact, qualities Trump has yet to demonstrate.
Wars may end when the powerful decree them to, but peace is not declared. It is earned, nurtured, and sustained through sacrifice, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to humanity. Donald Trump may never grasp this distinction, but the Nobel Peace Prize and history itself will continue to honor those who do.
