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Mod: Apparently the US president and Kim Jong-un had been considered frontrunners ahead of the announcement. Or at least they were according to reliable Putinists such as Lindsey Graham and Sean Hannity. It didn't happen, though. Proving that sanity still drives decisions in at least some parts of the world.
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| Was love not enough? |
Along with Kim Jong-un, he had been a frontrunner to win the award among bookmakers. He had been nominated by Republican lawmakers who said he should win "in recognition of his work to end the Korean War, denuclearize the Korean peninsula, and bring peace to the region".
But the committee gave the prestigious award instead to campaigners who have fought against sexual violence. Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad were praised by the committee "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict".
Many Twitter users took to the site to rejoice that the president had been skipped over for the award.
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Allies of the president had already used the possibility he would win to mock his opponents. Lindsay Graham said that Mr Trump deserved the award for what he claimed were successes fighting Isis and taking on Iran.
"If Donald Trump gets the Nobel Peace Prize, liberals all over the world would jump out of buildings," the Republican senator said before laughing.
Mr Trump and his allies have been largely silent since the winners of the award were announced, which happened during the very early morning US time.
Mod: The following article appeared last May.
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Trump was asked by a reporter while holding a Cabinet meeting at the White House whether he deserved the honor, to which the President replied with a large smile: "Everyone thinks so, but I would never say it."
If Trump were to win the award, he'd be the fifth American president bestowed with the honor. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama are all Nobel winners. During a recent campaign-style rally in Michigan, the crowd broke out into a chant of "Nobel, Nobel" while Trump was discussing his efforts in North Korea. Clearly enjoying the response, the President smiled and said, "Thank you, that is very nice."
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The details: Mukwege, a 63-year-old Congolese gynecological surgeon, treats victims of gang rape, and Nadia Murad, a 25-year-old Iraqi Yazidi who was raped and held captive by ISIS, has spoken extensively about her experience despite the cultural shame associated with doing so.
Mukwege is a "global advocate for gender equality and the elimination of rape in war," the NYT reports. He has been targeted for his advocacy and outspoken views.
"It's not a woman question; it's a humanity question, and men have to take responsibility to end it." — Dr. Denis Mukwege
Murad was abducted and repeatedly raped by ISIS in 2014. After escaping, she insisted on being photographed and named, and traveled around the world speaking before international bodies.
"I will go back to my life when women in captivity go back to their lives, when my community has a place, when I see people accountable for their crimes." — Nadia Murad
Mod: I am not sure Donald Trump could have been considered a Nobel Prize candidate for fighting sexual violence. Which I suspect is the message the Nobel Peace Prize Committee was sending.
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