Trump wants a Nobel Prize. He’ll learn Friday if his campaign paid off

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: President Donald Trump will learn Friday whether his long and unusually public campaign to win the Nobel Peace Prize has succeeded
• Trump claims to have resolved seven global conflicts and brokered an eighth — the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire — just ahead of the Nobel announcement
• Despite his insistence that his motivations are apolitical, Trump has repeatedly raised the topic in public and private, including lobbying foreign officials and referencing the prize during peace negotiations

🔭 The context: Unlike previous laureates, Trump has actively campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize throughout his presidency and into his second term — a sharp break from the tradition of quiet deliberation and humility expected of candidates
• He has been nominated by several governments and allies, including Pakistan, Israel, and Cambodia
• His campaign appears partly driven by a desire to match former President Barack Obama, who won the prize in 2009 — a decision that remains controversial in Nobel circles

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The credibility of international institutions like the Nobel Committee plays a vital role in legitimising global cooperation, including on climate, peace, and sustainable development
• A high-profile award driven by political lobbying rather than impartial merit could undermine trust in such institutions
• More broadly, the politicisation of peace diplomacy risks overshadowing multilateral efforts on sustainable security — such as environmental peacebuilding, refugee resettlement, and climate-resilient reconstruction in conflict zones

⏭️ What's next: The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, October 10, in Oslo
• While Trump’s team and supporters have mobilised nominations and symbolic gestures — including a mock award ceremony in Tel Aviv — the official shortlist reportedly includes humanitarian groups like Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms and watchdog organisations such as the International Criminal Court
• Regardless of the outcome, Trump’s public push is likely to remain a flashpoint in debates over the prize’s purpose and politicisation

💬 One quote: “If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds.” – President Donald Trump

📈 One stat: 300,000 tons of CO₂ — the amount Trump claims to have offset through international peace deals (a symbolic reference; not a verified climate impact)

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