A group of 18 Republican members of Congress signed a letter Wednesday addressed to the Nobel Prize committee recommending President Donald Trump for the Peace Prize, the most coveted human rights honor in the world.
The letter was penned by Indiana Rep. Luke Messer, who badly needs Trump's support in a tight upcoming election. The Midwestern politician gushed over what he and his colleagues see as the president's diplomatic work to get North Korea and South Korea to sit down and talk peace.
"Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons program and bring peace to the region," the congressman fawned.
The idea of giving the president the vaunted gold disc gained momentum at a Trump political rally in Michigan.
As the president began his talk about the denuclearization of the hostile nation, the crowd began to chant "Nobel, Nobel, Nobel."
The thought of giving the highest human rights honor to the man who taunted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by calling him "Rocket Man" and has threatened the famously unstable dictator with nuclear annihilation, prompted spit-takes across the country Wednesday.
"I thought you had to accomplish something to obtain the prize," said Michael Avenetti, the lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels, who is suing Trump. "Nothing has actually happened (in North Korea). I mean, they don't hand out the Super Bowl rings before the game."
New York Rep. Adrianno Espaillat, a Manhattan Democrat, was less snarky about awarding the Peace Prize to a leader who once bragged that his nuclear button was bigger than the North Korean dictator's.
"I don't think we are a safer world now than we were a year ago," the congressman said. "I understand the seriousness of the North Korea and South Korea conflict ... the rest of the world is in danger. A nomination to such a prestigious award should not be a partisan gaming opportunity."
New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson also shot down the idea of giving a prestigious award to a president who has advocated police brutality and refused to condemn white supremacy. And for Johnson, Trump doesn't even come close.
"He is the least-deserving human being on the planet," the speaker said. "He's a liar with no integrity who has destabilized the pillars of our democracy for his personal gain while peddling conspiracy theories about his enemies. Seriously _ no."
New Yorkers were characteristically blunt in their opposition.
"Frankly I think the idea of giving Trump a peace prize is just a huge joke," said TV director John Gray, 60, of Manhattan. "We all know he's irrationally competitive with Obama, so I think a lot of this is about trying to best him or be equal to him, which he will never be. Even with Obama's faults, Trump will never be anywhere near him."
Former President Barack Obama famously received the award in 2009, less than nine months into office.
There have been four American presidents to win the award. Theodore Roosevelt received the award 1906 for peace negotiations between Russian and Japan. Woodrow Wilson was honored in for establishing the League of Nations. Jimmy Carter won in 2002 for his life time of work in conflict resolution.
Obama, however, expressed humility over the award, saying, "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize."
Some experts have suggested that giving Trump the prize, whether he deserves it or not, could have a positive effect _ but not necessarily for the Koreas.
Yale psychiatric professor Bandy Lee, who specializes in de-escalating international violence, said the laurels could flatter the president's ego and keep the easily distracted leader from focusing on keeping out illegal immigrants or starting a trade war.
"Offering the Nobel Peace Prize could help keep the president from his natural impulse to attack, but it would be a perverted use of it, when what he really needs is an evaluation of his capacity to serve."
Ultimately, Lee said, the real credit for peace talks belongs to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Moon says to give it to Trump _ the Nobel is not the prize he seeks.
"It's really President Trump who should receive it; we can just take peace," his office was quoted as saying.
