Trump, who has been elected president twice, has an unusual obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize

These days, watching President Trump brings to mind some interesting thoughts. His level of eccentricity is quite remarkable, haha.

Why does someone who has held the position of President of the United States, the most powerful country in the world, show such interest in the Nobel Peace Prize?

It's not just a casual desire. After failing to win the award this year, he publicly criticized the Nobel Committee.

But who is Trump, really?

He started as a real estate mogul, became a TV star, and was elected President of the United States in 2016 without any political experience.

He failed to win re-election in 2020 but returned to run again four years later and made it back to the White House.

In U.S. history, only Grover Cleveland and Trump have been elected president after leaving office.

Even if he accomplished that difficult feat, becoming President of the United States can be achieved through elections, but the Nobel Prize cannot be won that way.

The Nobel Prizes include awards for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economic sciences.

I've never heard of Trump pursuing a Nobel Prize for scientific research or literary work.

However, the peace prize is different.

A national leader can be eligible for the award if they contribute to ending wars or reducing conflicts between nations.

Trump's continued emphasis on his diplomatic achievements can be understood in this context.

In fact, there have been individuals who received the Nobel Peace Prize while in office.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt won for his mediation efforts to end the Russo-Japanese War.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson received the prize for his contributions to the establishment of the League of Nations.

We are also familiar with President Kim Dae-jung, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his efforts in the inter-Korean summit, democracy, human rights, and reconciliation between the North and South.

In 2009, President Barack Obama was awarded the prize just over a year after taking office.

At that time, the Nobel Committee explained that the award was given for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation.

However, there was considerable controversy over whether the award was given before any concrete results were achieved.

Former President Jimmy Carter also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, but his award recognized his long-standing efforts in resolving international conflicts and promoting human rights after leaving office.

Looking at this, it makes one ponder why Trump is so interested in the peace prize.

Especially, what does it mean for Trump that Obama received it?

The two have been politically opposed for a long time. It is also true that Trump has mentioned Obama's award several times.

Trump claims that he has contributed to resolving various international conflicts or preventing wars.

However, opinions vary on whether all the conflicts he mentions were actual wars and what his role was in them.

This year, on October 9, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African lawyer Nomaindia Mfeketo.

After the results were announced, Trump strongly criticized Norway and the Nobel Committee.

There is one fact to keep in mind here.

The Nobel Peace Prize is not an award given to the president by the Norwegian government. It is decided by the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Being the President of the United States does not grant any special qualifications.

It cannot be explained solely by a desire for honor that Trump wants the Nobel Peace Prize. Recognition of his claimed diplomatic achievements is likely an important factor as well.

Ultimately, Trump's discussions about the Nobel Peace Prize leave us with an intriguing question.

How do the power of being the president of the world's strongest nation and the international honor of the Nobel Peace Prize differ?

A president is chosen by the people, but the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded based on separate criteria and evaluations.

It is interesting to think that even Trump, who has already entered the White House twice, cannot obtain the Nobel Peace Prize according to his own will.