“While the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, history may yet judge Donald Trump’s global diplomacy as the true triumph for peace in an age where politics too often overshadows principle.”

President Donald J. Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize. But if that omission tells us anything, it is not about the value of his record — it is about the declining meaning of the prize itself.

Over the past century, the Nobel Peace Prize has honored figures from Theodore Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter. Some of them changed history; others were celebrated more for symbolism than substance. Barack Obama received it only months into his presidency, largely for offering the hope of a new direction — not for any measurable peace achieved.

In contrast, President Trump’s record speaks for itself — where others delivered promises, he delivered peace.

A Record That Redefined Diplomacy

During his first term, Trump brokered four historic Arab-Israeli peace agreements — the Abraham Accords — the first in more than 25 years. These breakthroughs between Israel and nations like the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco reshaped the Middle East and upended decades of failed assumptions.

The foreign policy establishment long insisted that no Arab state could make peace with Israel without resolving the Palestinian conflict. Trump proved that wrong. He moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, stood firm against Iran’s aggression, and forged partnerships based on strength rather than concession. The result was genuine progress — not just photo opportunities or promises on paper.

A Global Impact Beyond the Middle East

Trump’s pursuit of peace did not end in the Middle East. His administration helped mediate an end to long-standing conflict in Central Africa, bringing together the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda after years of bloodshed. He pushed for calm between India and Pakistan, helped end hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia, and personally facilitated talks that produced a peace framework between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Even more remarkably, Trump’s firm hand helped prevent an Iran–Israel war in less than two weeks, following his decisive operation to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. He intervened to defuse potential wars in Serbia and Kosovo, and between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile River. These were not isolated diplomatic gestures — they were sustained efforts to stabilize regions long ignored by previous administrations.

Achievements Without Recognition

Perhaps the most recent example came with the successful negotiation to free hostages from Hamas and end the Gaza conflict — an accomplishment that brought hope to thousands of families across the Middle East. Trump’s comprehensive 20-point plan for reconstruction and peace in Gaza won broad support from Israel and much of the Arab world, isolating Hamas and forcing it to accept responsibility for its actions.

These are precisely the kinds of achievements that should define a Nobel Peace laureate. Yet the committee in Oslo chose not to recognize them. The silence raises an uncomfortable question: What is the value of the Nobel Peace Prize if genuine progress in ending wars and saving lives no longer meets its standard?

If the Nobel Committee truly places politics over peace, then perhaps the prize would be better suited for others who have endured tremendous sacrifice in the name of democracy. Consider Bangladesh’s former three-time Prime Minister — and the country’s first female leader — Begum Khaleda Zia. As the head of Bangladesh’s largest political party, she has spent the past 17 years resisting an increasingly autocratic regime. She has endured imprisonment, denial of medical care, and even alleged attempts on her life through poisoning, yet she has never wavered in her commitment to democracy and to the nearly 200 million people of Bangladesh. To many, she is revered as the Mother of Democracy.

And if politics truly outweighs peace in the Nobel Committee’s decisions, then perhaps recognition should also extend to those who have acknowledged the truth about President Trump’s contributions to global stability. Even this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado — a courageous champion of democracy and freedom — dedicated her recognition to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Donald J. Trump, acknowledging that genuine peace is not forged through applause, but through principle and conviction.

Leadership Measured by Results, Not Medals

Donald Trump’s legacy was never meant to be written in medals or ceremonies. It is written instead in a stronger America, safer families, and freedom defended across the world. His diplomacy proved that peace is not achieved through weakness or apology, but through strength, resolve, and the courage to act when others hesitate.

The Nobel Peace Prize may have lost its way, but the cause of peace has not. Awards fade. History endures. And history will record that President Trump pursued peace not for prestige, but for principle — because he believed that a world guided by strength and mutual respect is a world more likely to remain at peace. That is the true meaning of leadership.

The Nobel Prize went elsewhere — yet Trump’s diplomacy changed the world forever. If the Nobel Committee cannot see that, the world still can. From the Middle East to Asia, from Eastern Europe to Africa, the results of his actions speak louder than any prize ever could.

The measure of a leader is not in the recognition he receives, but in the lives improved, the wars prevented, and the hope restored because he chose to act when others would not. By that measure, Donald J. Trump has already earned something greater than the Nobel Prize — the gratitude of nations that now stand more secure because of his leadership.

Author:

Zahid F. Sarder Saddi is a Bangladeshi politician in exile, humanitarian, and U.S.–Bangladesh relations expert, as well as an advocate for democracy and religious freedom. A former foreign advisor to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, he has testified before the U.S. Congress and worked with American policymakers and international institutions for over two decades to promote democracy, protect vulnerable communities, and combat extremism.

Visit www.ZahidFSarderSaddi.com or contact info@zahidfsardersaddi.com for more information.