The White House countered criticism of the awarding of the FIFA (International Football Federation) peace prize to Donald Trump, stating that no one deserves it more than the president of the United States.
FIFA, world football’s governing body, awarded Trump the inaugural prize in December’s World Cup draw for “promoting peace and unity around the world”, drawing condemnation from human rights groups and activists.
Australian football player Jackson Irvine said this week that Trump’s award makes a mockery of FIFA’s human rights policy, while Norway’s football federation called for the abolition of the award.
The White House responded by asserting that Trump’s “foreign policy of peace through strength” had ended eight wars in less than a year.
“There is no one in the world more deserving of FIFA’s first Nobel Peace Prize than President Trump. Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Disorder Syndrome,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.
The United States, which co-hosts the World Cup with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, launched a military attack against Venezuela a month after the tournament draw and began joint airstrikes with Israel against Iran on February 28.
Trump frequently invokes his success in resolving international conflicts and has stated on several occasions that he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
