One of the most consistent criteria for the Nobel Peace Prize, both stated and unstated, is a commitment to multilateralism—the principle of nations working together to solve shared problems. On this test, Donald Trump’s record is not just weak; it’s a clear failure, representing a massive, likely insurmountable, obstacle to his candidacy.
The Nobel Prize itself is an embodiment of the multilateral ideal. It was created to foster “fraternity between nations,” and its history is a celebration of the institutions and individuals who have strengthened the cooperative world order. Past laureates include the United Nations, the European Union, and countless figures who have championed international law and diplomacy.
Trump’s “America First” presidency was a direct assault on this tradition. His administration viewed multilateralism with deep suspicion, seeing it as a threat to American sovereignty. This philosophy was put into practice through a series of high-profile withdrawals from key international agreements and organizations, including the Paris Agreement on climate change, the World Health Organization, and the UN Human Rights Council.
This record presents the Nobel Committee with an impossible contradiction. How could they award their prize, a symbol of global cooperation, to a leader whose defining legacy is the rejection of that very cooperation? It would be a repudiation of their own history and values.
Experts like Theo Zenou and Nina Græger have emphasized this point. They note that Trump’s dismissive stance on international institutions and alliances places him far outside the mainstream of Nobel contenders. In the end, the multilateralism test is one he cannot pass, making his hopes of winning the prize exceedingly remote.