Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize?
on February 03, 2016 at 5:45 PM, updated February 03, 2016 at 7:44 PM
TRENTON — Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has already surprised the political world by becoming a top Republican presidential candidate. Is he now a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, too?
Kristian Berg Harpviken, the director of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, told French news agency Agence France Press on Wednesday that the Nobel committee received a letter nominating Trump.
It has not been revealed who wrote the letter, but the author reportedly nominated the former Atlantic City casino tycoon for his "vigorous peace through strength ideology, used as a threat weapon of deterrence against radical Islam, ISIS, nuclear Iran and Communist China."
The Nobel website says "qualified nominators" can be former prize winners, national governments, professors, and members of international courts, among others. People cannot nominate themselves.
The nominees are supposed to be kept secret for 50 years, but they are often leaked to the press.
Trump is reportedly in the running against figures like Pope Francis and Nadia Murah, who has advocated for rape victims of terrorist group the Islamic State, or ISIS.
Last year, there were 273 nominees for the prize. This year's award will be given in December, shortly after the general presidential election.
Trump leads his nine opponents, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in the national polls for the GOP nod for the White House.
The businessman has been one of the most dogged Republican contenders when it comes to fighting terrorism. But he drew significant blowback for proposing that the U.S. temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S. to protect the country against possible terrorism.
Brent Johnson may be reached at
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http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/donald_trump_reportedly_nominated_for_nobel_prize.htmlEdited by Joffa: 4/2/2016 10:18:56 PM