Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama, our own Lester Pearson — just some of the names that justifiably have been honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Could that list soon include Donald Trump?

Aghast as many would be to see the President of the United States joining such luminaries, the question must be asked: Why not Donald Trump?

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He certainly wouldn’t be the most ghastly choice for the annual honour handed out 105 times to 142 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2024 (111 individuals, 31 organizations) — though many would disagree with that sentiment.

But come Oct. 10, there will be those shocked to hear Trump’s name read out by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo, Norway, before the honour is presented on Dec. 10.

Again, why not Trump? Look at any number of sweethearts such as Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, and those he was at constant war with over the decades, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin, who are also Nobel laureates. Even former U.S. President Barack Obama, who appears to have been honoured just because he was elected president. Indeed, then why not Trump? 

Of course, he wouldn’t be my first choice. It’s hard to honour for peace a man who ordered the bombing of Iran (though some would argue it has kept the Mideast firestorm from exploding), nor raining death down on drug boats off the Venezuelan coast. And the chaos he has unleashed with his trade wars with, well, everybody. That said, the precedent has been set. 

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But an argument can be made that Trump, in his short second term, has done more for world peace than any other. He’s been pivotal in trying to bring Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the table to end the brutal Ukraine conflict, and he’s also had more success getting Hamas and Israel to consider a peace proposal (though threats of it being a “sad” outcome if Hamas doesn’t agree to his 20-point peace plan hardly screams peace). 

Despite the blips of Arafat et al, and possibly Trump, as Nobel laureates, there is no doubt the Peace Prize remains an honour above almost all else. It has recognized some great statesmen. Pearson is notable for his role in diffusing the Suez Crisis in 1956, Mandela and F.W. de Klerk for bringing an end to South Africa’s apartheid regime (though some might lump de Klerk in with the bad), and so many who have worked to build respect around the world for human rights.

So who else besides Trump — who is reported to covet the Nobel — might be announced as this year’s winner? Reported nominations are a mixed bag, including Francesca Albanese, perhaps as controversial as Trump as the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza. Irwin Cotler, Canada’s former Minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Liberal government of Paul Martin is an interesting name being mentioned. He is reportedly nominated “for his lifelong dedication to serving underprivileged populations, representing silenced voices and promoting the loftiest of ideals: justice and freedom.” Even Elon Musk, Tesla founder and proprietor of the X social media platform, is said to be in the running for his commitment to freedom of expression.

Perhaps most interesting among the reported nominees is the late Pope Francis. And like Trump, the question must be asked: why not?

Popes are nominated frequently — every pope since Benedict XV (1914-22) has been nominated at one point or another — but to date none have claimed the honour. It’s not like Catholic leaders haven’t won the award, Mother Teresa being the most prominent for her efforts to alleviate human suffering.

Any number of popes surely should have taken the honour, not least Pope John Paul II for his role in bringing down European Communism and paving the way toward a unified Europe (of course now under threat from Putin’s aggression). Francis would not be unlike the sainted John Paul II or any of his predecessors. Like all popes, he was constantly at the forefront in promoting peace worldwide.

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I suppose the question is, would Francis — or any pope — really care if they won the award? As Vatican observer John Allen Jr. wrote in Crux in 2022, “It’s not that losing out on the Nobel Prize somehow diminishes a pope’s moral authority, or that popes themselves hunger for recognition.”

Still, perhaps papal recognition is long overdue. Though Trump will surely have something to say on the matter.