President Donald Trump has derided the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to former President Barack Obama, saying the 44th president got it for "doing nothing" and "destroying our country."
Trump made the comments to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, the 16th anniversary of Obama's being awarded the Nobel for "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy."
"He got it for doing nothing. Obama got a prize — he didn't even know what — he got elected and they gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country," Trump said, noting that Obama was only a few months into his presidency when he won the Nobel.
"Obama was not a good president. ... He won the election and then they gave him the peace prize, right? My election was a much more important election."
Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just nine months into his first term — a move criticized by conservatives who said the honor was based on lofty rhetoric rather than results.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised his "extraordinary efforts" to promote diplomacy and nuclear disarmament; Obama himself said he didn't deserve it yet.
Now, many are calling for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize following the peace deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
"I know this: Nobody in history has solved eight wars in a period of nine months. I've stopped eight wars, so that's never happened before — but they'll have to do what they do.
"Whatever they do is fine. I know this: I didn't do it for that. I did it because I saved a lot of lives," Trump told reporters.
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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