“Everyone Says I Should Get It”: Trump’s Public Lobbying Campaign and Its Perils

In a move that is both characteristic of his style and deeply unconventional for a Nobel contender, Donald Trump has engaged in a public lobbying campaign for the Peace Prize, frequently telling his supporters that “everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize.” This assertive, self-promoting strategy, however, is fraught with peril and likely to backfire with the fiercely independent Nobel Committee.
Typically, potential Nobel laureates maintain a respectful silence, allowing their work to speak for itself. The process is seen as a sober evaluation, not a political campaign. Trump has turned this tradition on its head, treating the Nobel as another prize to be won through public declaration and pressure.
Nobel experts warn that this is a grave miscalculation. The five-member committee in Oslo is extremely sensitive to its reputation for impartiality. It cannot be seen as an institution that can be swayed by public relations or political bullying. Nina Græger, a leading expert from the Peace Research Institute Oslo, has directly stated that this kind of outspokenness could work against him.
The memory of the 2009 controversy surrounding Barack Obama’s prize also plays a role. The committee faced accusations of making a politically motivated choice. They will be highly motivated to avoid any decision that could be construed as a response to a political campaign, especially one being waged by the candidate himself.
By making his desire for the prize so public, Trump puts the committee in an impossible position. Awarding it to him would look like they caved to his demands. Denying it to him allows him to claim the system is rigged. Faced with this choice, the committee will almost certainly choose to uphold its integrity and ignore the public lobbying, selecting a candidate who has respected the quiet dignity of the process.