A far-right Norwegian lawmaker has again nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, this time for his efforts in a deal to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, The Huffington Post reported.
Christian Tybring-Gjedde announced the 2021 nomination on Wednesday on the “Fox News Rundown” podcast, saying he believed that Trump’s actions met the criteria set by Alfred Nobel for the prize: fellowship among nations, reduction of standing armies and promotion of peace congresses.
Tybring-Gjedde is a member of Norway’s right-wing, populist Progress Party. He has repeatedly expressed anti-Islam and anti-immigration views over the years. He claimed that Muslims were driving “cultural Norwegians” out of Oslo neighborhoods and that Muslims should take a vow to “our” Christian state.
"For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other peace prize nominees," Tybring-Gjedde, a four-term member of parliament who also serves as chairman of the Norwegian delegation to the Nato Parliamentary Assembly, told Fox News.
Tybring-Gjedde also submitted a nomination for Trump in 2018, following the US president's summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump did not win the award.
Hundreds of nominees
Trump previously implied that he deserved the prize, after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the award in 2019. In remarks made in January 2020, Trump claimed he, not Ahmed, was key in brokering peace in the African nation, and did not formally congratulate Ahmed.
Over 300 individuals and organizations have been nominated for the 2020 award, the most ever. The winner of the award will be announced in October this year.
Nominations may be submitted by any person who fits the criteria, and the Nobel organization does not formally announce a list of nominees until 50 years have elapsed. The Norwegian Nobel Committee decides on the winner.
The 2021 award would be nominated in October of that year, after Trump's current term as president will be over.
Trump's predecessor Barack Obama won the international prize in 2009.