Trump is looking ahead to his place in history

President dismissively remarked recently.

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Nor is the award itself particularly valuable: at 175g of 18-karat gold, the medal is worth only US$23,450 (S$30,500) in today’s market prices, far less than the gold Mr Trump plastered around his White House Oval Office. And although the US$1.5 million that comes with the prize can buy plenty of Big Macs, the sum is still negligible compared with Mr Trump’s other fortunes.

Yet The Donald never ceases to mention the prize. Nobel’s name was invoked in every international conflict the President got involved in; Mr Trump now claims that he has ended eight wars in as many months. “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” he told the recent gathering of the United Nations General Assembly.

This obsession is often put down to Mr Trump’s anger that President Barack Obama, one of his predecessors, got the prize in 2009, with very little to show for his efforts. However, if “besting” Mr Obama is the only explanation, why was Mr Trump not obsessed with getting the prize when he first walked into the White House in 2017? The question was seldom raised during this first presidential term.

The reason matters are different this time is that Mr Trump, as all US presidents in their second and final term in office, is looking ahead to his place in history. He is not only looking to be treated as well as Mr Obama, he has also persuaded himself that he could go down in history as the man who both made America great and the world peaceful again.

WRONG INCENTIVES, FALSE OBJECTIVES