Donald Trump is eager to win a Nobel Peace Prize and has received endorsements from several governments, but the chances are still bleak. The Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the highly anticipated accolade winner on Friday at 11 a.m. local time (2 p.m. PKT).
The United States President has, on several occasions, proclaimed himself to be worthy of the honour. Trump claims credit for stopping seven wars across the globe and a recent peace deal between Hamas and Israel also solidifies his stance.
So far, four U.S. Presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize, including Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.
Theodore Roosevelt became both the first American and the first U.S. president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906. He was honored with the accolade after successful mediation that ended the Russo-Japanese war.
His support for the Permanent Court of Arbitration was also one of the key factors in his selection for the prize.
In his Nobel lecture, given in 1910, Roosevelt discussed his belief that "peace is never the highest good unless it comes as the handmaid of righteousness”.
Woodrow Wilson was the second U.S. President to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1919. His selection was based on several key factors that included his role in the establishment of the League of Nations and efforts to push for peace after World War I.
Wilson outlined his famous 14 points of establishing a new world order that aimed to prevent future armed conflicts.
Jimmy Carter was the third US President to receive the award in 2002, almost 21 years after leaving the office. Whereas, both Roosevelt and Wilson got the award during their terms.
Carter received the accolade for his post-presidency humanitarian work. He was actively involved in finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing human rights and democracy, and promoting economic and social development.
The fourth and last US President to have received the Nobel Peace Prize wasBarack Obama in 2009. The Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation among nations.
It remains to be seen if Donald Trump would become the fifth US president to receive the award. He recently said, “Obama won the award for nothing, I have ended eight conflicts.”