Copenhagen, Denmark — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East.
Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Mr. Trump should be considered because of his work "for a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel which opens up for possible peace in the Middle East."
"No matter how Trump acts at home and what he says at press conferences, he has absolutely a chance at getting the Nobel Peace Prize," Tybring-Gjedde, told The Associated Press.
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He said he nominated Trump on Wednesday, adding that "Donald Trump meets the criteria" for the Nobel Peace Prize.
President Trump retweeted a link to the Jerusalem Post's article about his nomination, saying simply, "Thank you!"
Tybring-Gjedde was also one of two Norwegian lawmakers who nominated Mr. Trump for the peace prize in 2018 for his efforts to bring reconciliation between North and South Korea.
Tybring-Gjedde's daughter Mathilde, a member of Parliament for the center-right Conservative Party, criticized the nomination in an email to CBS News.
"I did not nominate Donald Trump as I do not believe he is qualified to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize is given to 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.' Donald Trump does not come to mind when I read this description," said Mathilde Tybring-Gjedde.
Any national lawmaker can nominate someone for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The process of considering candidates, narrowing the wide field of nominees and awarding the prize is done in Norway, in contrast to the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded in neighboring Sweden. Nominations must be sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee by February 1.
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The Norwegian Nobel Committee doesn't publicly comment on nominees. Under its rules, the information is required to be kept secret for 50 years.
The Nobel Committee says on its website that, as of Wednesday, a total of 318 candidates have been put forward for the 2020 Peace Prize, of which 211 are individuals and 107 are organizations. That's the fourth-highest number of candidates ever, with the current record of 376 candidates reached in 2016.
"It is now to hope that the Nobel Committee is able to consider what Trump has achieved internationally and that it does not stumble in established prejudice against the US President," Christian Tybring-Gjedde said in a Facebook post.