'Donald Trump's Nobel Prize delusion is both embarrassing and frankly dangerous'
Christopher Bucktin is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience, the majority of which he has spent at the Daily Mirror. A former Press Gazette Reporter of the Year, he has held senior roles including Head of Features, Head of Showbusiness, and Head of Content, before relocating to the United States in 2013 to become US Editor. Renowned for breaking agenda-setting exclusives, he has reported from the front lines of America's biggest news stories, led investigations into the Trump administration, and exposed key details in the Jeffrey Epstein case. His career highlights include securing the first interview with the Peru Two inside prison, becoming the first journalist to descend into drug lord El Chapo's escape tunnel, and spearheading coverage of Prince Andrew's ties to Epstein. He holds weekly columns in the Daily Mirror, Daily Star and Reach's regional titles.
As Donald Trump gears up for yet another ego-fuelled photo op with Vladimir Putin, his MAGA cheerleaders are out floating the idea that he should get the Nobel Peace Prize.
It's not just delusional, it's reckless, embarrassing, and frankly dangerous.
You only need to look at last week, when White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stood, straight-faced, and declared it was 'well past time' Trump received the honour to realise how shameless her pitch was. As if it's some overdue library book, and not the world's most respected peace accolade. You could almost hear the sound of Alfred Nobel rolling in his grave.
Leavitt, never one to let facts get in the way of sycophancy, proudly declared Trump had 'brokered one peace deal or ceasefire per month' since his return to office in January.
She then rattled off a list of 'conflicts' that sound more like the plotlines of a B-grade Netflix geopolitical thriller. Cambodia and Thailand. Serbia and Kosovo. Egypt and Ethiopia. And, the showstopper, India and Pakistan. Two nuclear powers whose animosity goes back decades. But sure, let's pretend Trump waltzed in and everyone just hugged it out.
This isn't just the usual Trumpian peacocking, it's a full-blown delusion built on a foundation of ego, grudge, and a weirdly obsessive need to outshine Barack Obama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize back in 2009.
A fact that clearly still haunts Trump like a ghost in the West Wing.
But this isn't just about a bruised ego. It's about power. Image. Control. Trump's 'peace' strategy is a chaotic cocktail of tough-guy posturing, staged pressers, and alliances with strongmen that leave actual diplomacy in the dust.
And then, just when you think the spin couldn't get any worse, Leavitt cited Iran, yes, the country Trump ordered military strikes on, as proof of his peacemaking credentials.
In what twisted, alternate universe does bombing a nation qualify someone for the Peace Prize?
Predictably missing from the highlight reel: Ukraine and Gaza.
Trump has claimed, repeatedly, and with increasing desperation, that he could end the war in Ukraine 'on day one.' It's now been many months. And the war rages on.
As for Gaza? American weapons keep flowing, civilian casualties pile up, and Trump? He's either asleep at the wheel or just doesn't care. As long as it doesn't cost him politically, he'll let others burn.
Now comes the big Putin moment. The world would do well to pay attention. This is the same Trump who once publicly sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies, called the Russian autocrat a 'genius' for invading Ukraine, and fawned over him like a fanboy at a dictator convention.
If the Nobel Peace Prize is meant to reward those who bring people together, Trump isn't just undeserving; he's the antithesis. He's turned international diplomacy into reality TV, where the only thing that matters is airtime.
If Trump really wants an award, give him a mirror. That way, he can finally talk to the only person he truly believes deserves one.
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The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump's Peace Prize envy is just the latest round in his obsession with one-upping Obama
Donald Trump's renewed efforts aimed at brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia may in fact have their roots in Trump's most famous political grudge. As the president prepares for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska — potentially to be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well — one of his former advisers sees a pattern emerging in Trump's second-term foreign policy agenda that indicates the US president is seriously pining for what he sees as the ultimate sign of global recognition and respect: a Nobel Peace Prize. But what John Bolton described to ABC's This Week on Sunday as Trump's latest fascination may have deeper psychological roots. And the biggest clue providing a glimpse into the president's psyche is the simultaneous focus of his entire national security team on Barack Obama, Trump's first-term predecessor and a figure many have argued propelled Trump's political ambitions through mockery and dismissal. Bolton, who served as Trump's national security adviser, explained Sunday that Trump's peacemaking attempts in Ukraine were part of a clear bid for a Nobel Peace Prize. He pointed to the president's efforts to claim credit for halting other global conflicts as part of the same concerted campaign; the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, and India's clashes with Pakistan. 'I think what Trump has done is make it clear that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize more than anything else.... the way to his heart? Offer to nominate him,' Bolton told ABC News. Though Bolton said that Trump was having mixed success: 'I don't think what he has done materially changes the situation in -- in any of those circumstances, or several others he's mentioned, like Pakistan/India, where the Indians, not just the government, the entire country are outraged that he tried to take credit for [a peace agreement].' On Friday, the president invited the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to the White House to sign a peace agreement. The deal is aimed at ending decades of conflict, but builds on a peace process moderated by Russia's Vladimir Putin and a previous agreement crafted by Russia that the two countries signed. Writing Thursday on Truth Social, Trump boasted of his role in reaching the agreement. The agreement between the two nations will create a major trade and transit corridor called the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.' It will connect mainland Azerbaijan with the autonomous Nakhchivan region, satisfying a major objective of the Azerbaijani government in the peace talks between the countries. Meanwhile, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Attorney General Pam Bondi collaborate on an effort to reignite interest in 'Russiagate' and the 2016 investigation into the Trump campaign. And the president himself continues to rage against a man he now accuses of 'treason' and efforts to rig the 2016 and possibly 2020 elections. Gabbard has eagerly echoed his accusations and argued that the Obama administration's efforts to call out Russian election interference efforts should be considered a 'coup'. Bondi acted to give the pair as much political cover at the Justice Department as possible; the embattled attorney general opened a grand jury probe into the 'Russiagate' investigation this past week, even despite a previous DOJ special counsel review finding no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the case. No charges have been filed yet against Obama or anyone else. Combined with Trump's bid to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, a clear pattern is emerging. As former RNC chair Michael Steele (the only Black chair in the Republican Party's history) wrote earlier this year in an op-ed for MSNBC: 'It's clear that Obama has been living in Trump's head rent-free for the last two decades. Some think he first ran for president because Obama made fun of him at the White House Correspondents Association dinner. He mistakenly called Biden by Obama's name multiple times while campaigning, once even saying he beat Obama in 2016.' 'Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize? Trump spends years obsessing about winning it himself,' Steele added. In March, Bolton saw the connection too. He told the New York Times that Trump 'saw that Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize and felt if Obama got it for not doing anything, why should he not get it?' The Times noted other instances where Trump has publicly and privately groused about not getting the award in spite of Obama's reception. 'If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds,' the president told the Detroit Economic Club last year. The evidence is clear: Trump is entering the latest phase of a years-long obsession with a political foe who consumes more of his attention than Joe Biden and even, at this point, Hillary Clinton. Obama is, in reality, Trump's one unvanquished foe remaining on the left. But he's also the last U.S. president who commanded clear respect and admiration not just in the U.S. but around the world, where he was invited to speak before the legislative bodies of the UK, Canada and Australia as well as to huge crowds elsewhere, like Germany and his father's home country of Kenya. The 44th president, the nation's first Black commander-in-chief, struck a nerve in Trump early and the man who would succeed Obama spent years coordinating a false, racist campaign of abuse centered around Obama's heritage and birthplace. Hillary Clinton won his attention and became a focus of his anger during and after the 2016 election, though she's largely faded from his view. But while the president can order his Cabinet members and aides to launch probes and issue statements tarnishing Obama's reputation, he's found so far that his ability to solve geopolitical conflicts is far more limited. Even as Trump has seen some success bullying U.S. trading partners into line with his 'reciprocal' tariffs, his promises to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza overnight have dissolved into failure. The international community waits to see whether this grudge-turned-ambition will propel Trump to actually force the end of a three-year war in Ukraine or the bloody siege and starvation of Gaza caused by Israel's blockade, or whether he will once again be frustrated by the realities that have thwarted his efforts so far.
Times
30 minutes ago
- Times
Vance tells Europe to step up in Ukraine, even though it lacks the strength
Europe needs to 'step up and take a bigger role' in funding Ukraine in its war against Russia, JD Vance, the US vice-president, said on Sunday. Speaking to Fox News, he claimed Americans were 'sick' of spending their tax dollars abroad and Washington was 'done funding' Kyiv. 'If you care so much about this conflict, you should be willing to play a more direct and a more substantial way in funding this war yourself,' he said. He spoke as European leaders again scrambled to build a united defence behind Ukraine, after President Trump suggested he may cut a deal with President Putin that could mean Ukraine has to concede territory. It is clear, however, that even if it remains unwavering in its diplomatic stance, Europe lacks the strength to back Kyiv in negotiating favourable terms in a future peace agreement or to enforce a ceasefire. The so-called 'coalition of the willing' — a multinational force led by the UK and France intended to support Ukraine and potentially monitor a ceasefire — looks highly unlikely to meet Sir Keir Starmer's original hopes of 64,000 troops on the ground. The Kremlin has also said it will not accept western troops in Ukraine, warning that their presence could trigger a new world war. Even if Putin were to agree, European defence ministers have said there is 'no chance' they could reach the 10,000 troops floated by the UK. Even 25,000 as a joint effort would 'be a push', The Times reported in April. 'Russia has 800,000 [troops],' Dovile Sakaliene, Lithuania's defence minister, told European counterparts. 'If we can't even raise 64,000 that doesn't look weak — it is weak.' It falls far short of the 200,000 troops that President Zelensky estimated in January were needed to credibly enforce peace across Ukraine's extensive front line and to prevent a new Russian attack after any ceasefire deal. Experts put the figure at closer to 600,000. The group consists largely of European and Commonwealth countries. So far, the UK and France are the only countries to have committed a specific number of troops. Finland is reportedly concerned that any deployment would 'dilute' its own border defences, while Poland, Spain and Italy have made clear they will not commit any soldiers. Estonia has said it may only be willing to send a company-sized combat unit of ground troops. Proposals have so far been hampered by shortages of manpower, political reluctance and logistical hurdles around the rules of engagement should Russia attack. Financially, Europe overtook the US as the biggest supplier of aid to Ukraine in June, with about €72 billion in military aid compared with the US's €65 billion, according to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker. The US has supplied the most sophisticated and lethal equipment, however, including advanced air-defence systems and precision munitions. Much of Europe's aid finances the purchase of US-made weapons, underscoring its dependence on the country. Zelensky said in January that about 40 per cent of Ukraine's weapons came from the US, about 33 per cent were produced domestically and less than 30 per cent came from Europe. Russia relies largely on its own resources, bolstered by partnerships with China and Iran. North Korea has also supplied between nine and 12 million artillery shells and rockets since 2023. Pyongyang allocates nearly 16 per cent of its government budget to defence, a proportion unmatched by any European state. Last year, EU members spent €326 billion on defence, about 1.9 per cent of GDP — a 30 per cent rise since 2021 — but the US spent nearly $1 trillion, or 3.4 per cent of GDP. JORGE SILVA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES To close the gap, the EU launched an €800 billion readiness plan aiming to modernise and integrate military capabilities. But progress is slow, hindered by fragmented industries, political divisions and lack of a shared strategy. The EU has imposed 14 rounds of economic sanctions on Russia since 2022, freezing more than €200 billion of Russian central bank assets and cutting energy imports. But Russia has adapted by deepening trade ties with China, India and other non-western partners, while Trump's promise to impose crippling secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian oil have largely failed to materialise. Europe could offer incentives, such as unfreezing Russian assets, as bargaining chips in any settlement. However, that relies on Putin seeing negotiation as preferable to continued war, something that is far from certain. Following an emergency summit on Saturday hosted by David Lammy, the foreign secretary, with Vance and senior European and Ukrainian officials, Kaja Kallas, the EU's policy chief, said she planned to convene an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday. 'The US has the power to force Russia to negotiate seriously,' she said, and any deal 'must have Ukraine and the EU included'. Kallas framed the talks as a matter for not just Ukraine's security, but the whole of Europe's. European diplomatic efforts are significant but, without military backing, risk being symbolic. The ability to uphold Ukraine's territorial integrity depends on sustained US commitment of weapons, troops and political will.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
JD Vance's attempt to blame Democrats
Four days after JD Vance reportedly asked top Trump administration officials to come up with a new communications strategy for dealing with the scandal around the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he appears to have put his foot in it, sparking a new round of online outrage even as he tried to defuse the furor. In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Sunday, the vice-president tried to deflect criticism of the administration's refusal to release the Epstein files by blaming Democrats. He accused Joe Biden of doing 'absolutely nothing' about the scandal when he was in the White House. 'And now President Trump has demanded full transparency from this. And yet somehow the Democrats are attacking him and not the Biden administration, which did nothing for four years,' he said. Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse multiple minor girls and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison during the Biden administration. If Vance's attempt to switch public blame onto Democrats was the big idea to emerge from his strategy meeting with attorney general Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel, which according to CNN he convened at the White House last week, then their labours appear to have backfired. (Vance denied to Fox that they had discussed Epstein at all, though he did acknowledge the meeting took place.) Within minutes of the Fox News interview being broadcast, social media began to hum with renewed cries of 'release the files!' Clips of Vanc smearing Democrats quickly began to circulate on X. 'We know that Jeffrey Epstein had a lot of connections with leftwing politicians and leftwing billionaires … Democrat billionaires and Democrat political leaders went to Epstein island all the time. Who knows what they did,' he said. Vance also repeated Trump's previously debunked claim that Bill Clinton had visited Epstein's private island dozens of times. Clinton has acknowledged using Epstein's jet, but denied ever visiting his island. 'Fine. Release all the files,' was the riposte from Bill Kristol, the prominent conservative Never Trumper who urged the documents to be made public with 'no redactions of clients, enablers, and see-no-evil associates'. Jon Favreau, Barack Obama's former head speechwriter, replied: 'Release the names! Democrats, Republicans, billionaires, or not. What are you afraid of, JD Vance?' Favreau added that Trump's name 'is in the Epstein files'. That was an apparent reference to a report in the Wall Street Journal last month that a justice department review of the documents conducted under Bondi had found that the president's name did appear 'multiple times'. Other social media users used the Fox News interview as an excuse to re-run video of Trump in the hosting Epstein and Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago. Epstein died in August 2019, during Trump's first presidency, while the financier and socialite was awaiting trial in a Manhattan jail; the death was ruled a suicide. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion The White House has been caught in a bind over the Epstein affair which spawned conspiracy theories among many of Trump's supporters, which now senior figures in the administration had actively encouraged during the 2024 campaign. In July the justice department announced that there was no Epstein client list and that no more files would be made public, a decision that clashed with earlier statements from top Trump officials, including Bondi's statement in February that a client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review'. The decision triggered an immediate and ongoing uproar that crossed the partisan political divide. Among the most viral clips in the aftermath of that reversal was video of Vance himself telling the podcaster Theo Von, two weeks before the election: 'Seriously, we need to release the Epstein list, that is an important thing.' In his Fox News interview Vance also warned that 'you're going to see a lot of people get indicted' after Trump accused Obama of 'treason' and called for his predecessor to be prosecuted. The director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has passed documents to the justice department that she claims show that the Obama administration maliciously tried to hurt Trump by linking Russian interference in the 2016 election to him. Obama has dismissed Trump's call for his prosecution as weak and ridiculous.
