The North Korean state media made a historic announcement Friday evening that Kim Jong-un and the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea would be suspending its nuclear missile and long range missile testing. In addition they will also be closing down their nuclear test site. The announcement comes ahead of President Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un, a potbellied dictator he once nicknamed "Rocketman," in May. By all accounts, President Trump has been the driving force behind North Korea's sudden change in their willingness to stop their nuclear weapon program.
Now, Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) is calling for President Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace prize if North Korea decides to disarm all together.
“If North Korea disarms, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize,” Messer said in a statement released Saturday morning.
“President Trump’s peace through strength strategy is making America safer and delivering results. This is more progress in North Korea than we saw during the entire Obama administration, and it’s a direct result of President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage,” he added.
In 2009, President Obama won the Nobel Peace prize for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."
Evidence abounds that adulation for President Obama was premature. But, over on Sky News, Cordelia Lynch is asking if North Korea is a "a chance for Trump to become one of history's 'great men'?"
From Sky News:
"Each administration has tried to get to this place and North Korea has reneged.
Has Mr Trump managed to achieve what his predecessors couldn't and in the process, secure a unlikely place in the diplomatic hall of fame? It is too early to tell of course.
But, the fact his top spymaster, Mike Pompeo, secretly managed to meet face-to-face with Mr Kim does seem to have helped pave the way for something potentially monumental.
It seems Nigel Farage, the Brexit leader, would agree with Rep. Messer and Lynch's recognition of this historic occasion.
"Those who disagree with me, I’m going to really upset you now. A few years ago President Obama, he was not even 10-months into the presidency and guess what? He got the Nobel Peace Prize for what he might do,” Farage told LBC.
“I’m going to suggest now that what needs to happen is that President Trump needs to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for managing to get talks going with North Korea. I think it’s fantastic, and I’ve been looking today at some of the rules and as an MEP I am able to nominate people for the Nobel Peace Prize," he added. “And I’ll be trying to get a petition of MEPs who support this idea."
A lot can change between now and the United States meeting with North Korea in May, but there is plenty to be cautiously optimistic about for President Trump.