Republicans are melting down after President Donald Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, going as far as to say they’ll make their own prizes to present to their Dear Leader as a participation trophy.
It should go without saying that Trump does not deserve the world-renown award. He is ordering violent roundups of immigrants, sending in the military against his own citizens, and carrying out extrajudicial killings off the coast of South America
But even if he did deserve it, virtually all of the supposed peace-making that Republicans attribute to him took place after Jan. 31, the deadline for the nomination process.
Nevertheless, Republicans are condemning the Nobel committee and whining that their orange-tinted idol didn't win the award he so desperately wants.
"If Nobel wants to restore what used to be a once-dignified prize, they can restore their credibility by awarding President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize. He's earned it," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on Fox Business Friday morning. "He's done more than any leader in the world in years to bring peace."
"At this point, The Nobel Peace Prize does not deserve @realDonaldTrump," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Republican of Wisconsin, wrote in a post on X, like a petulant child.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, meanwhile, sought to give Trump a little pep talk after he didn't win the prize.
"With today’s Nobel Peace Prize announcement, we can’t forget the accomplishments of President Trump," Scott wrote in a post on X. "In just a few months, he has brought peace to the world, brokering historic deals to end wars that have lasted for decades. Not to mention, we’ve seen countless world leaders call for his nomination to receive this great honor. I hope the Committee will take this into consideration when selecting the next award winner—it should be [Trump]!"
Then there were the real pick-me Republicans like Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter and New York Rep. Claudia Tenney.
"[Trump] deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. And that's why I'm introducing a resolution … that will honor him with the Nobel Peace Prize," Carter told Fox Business Friday morning. "And if need be, we'll call for a discharge petition on that."
Congress doesn't decide who wins a Nobel Peace Prize, so whatever ridiculous legislation Carter introduces is a waste of time. But Carter is running for Senate in Georgia, clearly with a strategy of kissing Trump’s ass in the hopes of earning Trump’s endorsement to help him win the crowded GOP primary.
Tenney, meanwhile, said she will make her own peace award named after Trump because she's sick of Trump not winning the prize.
"I nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2 straight cycles. I will nominate him again when the nomination window opens. Awarding President Trump this honor would bring credibility back to this once venerable award. However, I think like minded souls should create a new award—'The Trump Peace and Prosperity Award'—it will raise the standard and be the most inspirational and coveted award in the world," Tenney wrote in a post on X.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado waves from atop a truck during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, in July 2024.
Sure, Jan.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was instead awarded to María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan woman fighting to bring democracy to her autocratic nation—at high risk to her safety and livelihood.
In announcing her as this year's awardee, the Nobel Committee appeared to take digs at Trump.
"When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist. Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk, and who remind us that freedom must never be taken for granted, but must always be defended—with words, with courage, and with determination," the committee wrote.
Those words will never describe Trump, who is seeking to imprison his enemies, silence dissent, and ignore laws to carry out his cruel, dictatorial agenda.
