The White House has vehemently denounced the Nobel selection committee's selection to bestow the Nobel Peace Prize to a candidate besides Donald Trump.
Swift Reaction Following Prize Announcement
Following the recent declaration that Venezuelan activist María Corina Machado had received the honored prize, senior aides to the US president condemned the selection panel as biased while the Scandinavian nation anticipated a likely political backlash from the US administration.
"The Nobel Committee proved they value political considerations before peace," wrote the White House communications director.
Trump will "continue making peace agreements, halting conflicts, and protecting civilians," he continued. "He possesses the spirit of a peacemaker, and there will not exist his equal who can move mountains with the sheer force of his resolve."
Background of Trump's Nobel Campaign
Trump had openly, though disdainfully, campaigned for the prize, spearheading a Middle East ceasefire agreement before the Friday announcement by the international awarding body – a factor that international negotiators and past diplomats said played a role in his timeframe for a ceasefire.
The US leader had also petitioned high-level Norway representatives and was supported for the prize by his supporters, who appeared in media this timeframe to insist that the committee award Trump for his work in the conflict region.
Committee's Declaration on Authoritarianism
In its statement, the Norwegian committee criticized the growing wave of authoritarianism in the South American nation and in countries around the international community. The sentiment was swiftly adopted by the president's opponents, who saw it as a relatively clear dig at the US president's use of the military in American cities and pressure on his political enemies at home.
"When authoritarians seize power, it is vitally important to recognize courageous defenders of democracy who step forward and resist," the committee wrote. "Democracy requires individuals who refuse to stay silent, who have courage to act despite significant threat, and who make us aware that freedom must always be valued, but must always be defended – with words, with bravery and with determination."
Analyst Views on the Situation
A Latin America expert, a specialist for Latin America at the research organization, suspected Trump would be "annoyed" by the decision.
"He had advocated publicly for this honor, even overstating his contribution to international diplomacy worldwide. He has mobilized significant security assets at significant political risk to him, truthfully, off the coast of Venezuela. And then the thing he most desired gets snatched away from him by the person he is supposedly protecting. I can't see how this will be accepted gracefully for a individual who shows disappointment on his sleeve."
The analyst believed Nicolás Maduro's administration would be displeased about the prize decision. "But it may even be – given Donald Trump's likely personal reaction to this – that it could even work a somewhat to their favor."
