Donald Trump has more than earned a Nobel Peace Prize. In his first term, his diplomatic efforts and achievements, especially in fostering peace agreements between Israel and several Arab nations, should have been enough to secure the prize. Yet, despite these accomplishments, he was passed over again weeks ago.
Now, in his second term, in less than 22 months, Trump’s impact continues to be remarkable, yet he remains unacknowledged by the Nobel committee. He has liberated Venezuela, crippled Iran — the world's greatest state-sponsored terrorist organization — and helped end or diminish numerous skirmishes and conflicts around the world
That Legendary Peacemaker, Obama
Those on the right instinctively know that if a Democrat president had done what Trump has already accomplished, that president would already be a Nobel laureate. Indeed, nine months into his presidency, Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize largely for bogus initiatives, with many critics questioning the validity of his award. In fact, today some of those critics were members of the Nobel award committees!
To any reasonable observer, the Nobel committee has shown its bias, and by continuing to ignore Trump, it signals to the world that the Prize itself is becoming increasingly meaningless.
For sure, when the Nobel committee overlooks monumental contributions, particularly in the realm of peace, they risk making the prize irrelevant. In perspective, however, a brief look at other notable omissions through the ages sheds light on how far off-track the awards committee has been. Advanced placement (AP) high school science students presumably could do a better job.
An Irrelevant Prize?
In the last several decades, and going back more than 100 years, some of the most brilliant minds in science were never awarded the Nobel prize. Stephen Hawking, for instance, revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and black holes. For that contribution alone, Hawking should have been recognized. His groundbreaking theoretical work laid the foundation for the advances we continue to make in physics today. Yet, despite his immense contributions, he never received the prize.
Dmitri Mendeleev, a giant in chemistry, created the periodic table, which remains a fundamental tool for students worldwide in understanding the structure of matter. Yet, despite shaping the very core of chemistry, he was ignored by the Nobel committee.
An Immense Injustice in Scientific Achievement
Rosalind Franklin, whose work with X-ray crystallography led directly to the discovery of the DNA double helix, died in 1958 before the award was first given in 1901. James Watson and Francis Crick received the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their discovery, but Franklin, who passed away four years earlier, was never recognized. The omission of her contribution is one of the greatest injustices in the history of science.
Edwin Hubble, the pioneering astronomer for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named, was among the first to identify the expanding nature of the universe. At the time of his discoveries, however, the Nobel Prize was not awarded for achievements in astronomy. Had the scope been broader, Hubble would certainly have been a worthy recipient.
Lise Meitner, a physicist who made extraordinary strides in nuclear fission, was nominated multiple times but never awarded the prize. Her contributions to the development of atomic energy and understanding of nuclear reactions were immense, yet the Nobel committee overlooked her in favor of others.
Other Ridiculous Omissions
Science aside, Mohandas Gandhi, the father of modern non-violence, never received the Nobel peace prize. Later called Mahatma – the great one – Gandhi’s global influence on peace, justice, and human rights is undeniable, yet the Nobel committee failed to recognize his efforts.
On our own shores, Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the most influential figures in human rights, diplomacy, and activism, was nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize but never received it, despite her tireless work for the welfare of all.
In literature, the list of great authors never awarded the Nobel prize is long. James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Marcel Proust, and George Orwell, all towering literary figures, were nominated but never honored. One could easily argue that these authors were more deserving than many who did receive the prize in literature.
Impact Greater than the Prize Itself
While the Nobel committee continues to award individuals based on political considerations, Donald Trump’s legacy of real, tangible achievements will stand the test of time, whether or not he is ever given that particular recognition.
If Trump never receives the Nobel Peace Prize, he thus joins some excellent company. And, in many respects, his impact is far greater than any tainted prize.