‘I like that’: Oh dear, Donald Trump now wants a Nobel Prize for bringing ‘peace’

If you listen closely, you can almost hear Alfred Nobel rolling in his grave. Yes, folks, Donald Trump who once suggested injecting bleach as a pandemic solution apparently believes he belongs in the company of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa. The bar for greatness has never been lower.

During what should have been a straightforward diplomatic meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at the White House this Thursday, the proceedings took a bizarre turn when a reporter—likely knowing exactly what buttons to push—asked Støre whether Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for his Ukraine-Russia peace efforts. Trump’s reaction? A positively giddy “Thank you very much for that question. I like that question.” Of course you do, Mr. President. Of course you do.

Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here. While thousands of Ukrainians and Russians continue to die weekly in a brutal conflict, Trump is basking in hypothetical accolades for peace that hasn’t materialized. The Norwegian PM, skilled in diplomatic niceties, offered a carefully worded non-answer that acknowledged Trump’s “initiatives” without actually endorsing any prize. Støre stated he “salutes” Trump for “taking very important initiatives” toward ending the conflict, then pivoted to discussing the general need for ceasefire.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began with Putin’s invasion in February 2023, has proven resistant to quick fixes, despite Trump’s campaign trail promises that he alone can fix it. Meanwhile, as Trump postures as global peacemaker, his economic policies are creating anything but peace for American wallets. His self-proclaimed “Liberation Day” on April 2nd unleashed a financial hurricane with sweeping 10% tariffs on virtually all imported goods. These tariffs, which Trump framed as protecting American interests, sparked immediate and predictable retaliation from China, which slapped a crushing 145% tariff on American exports.

The result? A financial bloodbath that sent the Dow plummeting, bond yields oscillating wildly, and the dollar weakening against major currencies worldwide. Trillions in market value vanished faster than Trump’s commitment to his previous wives. The very voters Trump claims to champion watched their retirement accounts shrink in real-time.

I’m old enough to remember when Nobel Peace Prizes were awarded for actual peace achievements, not for wishful thinking tweets and self-congratulatory press conferences. Alfred Nobel established the prize to recognize those who have “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Somewhere, Nobel’s ghost is wondering if we’ve completely lost the plot. What’s particularly galling is how Trump’s pursuit of accolades directly contradicts his “America First” doctrine. While he’s busy fishing for international recognition, ordinary Americans are drowning in the economic whirlpool created by his tariff policies. It’s reminiscent of Nero fiddling while Rome burned.