Can Trump Achieve what previous US Presidents could not?

"Success of this Peace Plan will define Trump's legacy. But without sustained U.S. commitment it will crumble."

Published in The Express on 12th October 2025.

Four US presidents have earned the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt for ending the Russo-Japanese War, Woodrow Wilson for founding the League of Nations, Jimmy Carter for forging peace between Egypt and Israel, and Barack Obama for inspiring hope in a gentler world order.

Trump believes he deserves one too, claiming to have “ended seven wars.” But that claim wilts under scrutiny.

Egypt and Ethiopia were arguing over water - there was no fighting. Pakistan and India had a brief flare-up over Kashmir, not a war. Armenia and Azerbaijan’s ceasefire was brokered by Russia. The DRC and Rwanda remain tense, but hardly at peace. The list goes on. Details matter.

"Whatever one thinks of Trump’s unorthodox, bombastic style, he has engineered the Middle East’s most promising opening for peace in decades."

After so many false dawns, from Camp David under Carter to the Oslo Accords under Clinton, world leaders now gather in Egypt for a summit that could mark a genuine turning point.

Trump’s 20-point plan lacks detail, but crucially it commits that Gaza will not be annexed by Israel, will not be run by a terrorist organisation, and will be supported by an international rebuilding effort.

It even leaves the door open to an eventual two-state solution - an idea that, only weeks ago, seemed lost for good.

Two stumbling blocks remain. Will Hamas truly pack up and go? Ideologies rarely fade so fast. And will Israel resist the temptation to charge back in once the hostages are freed? So much could yet go wrong.

But if it works - if peace, reconstruction and restraint somehow hold – it will define Trump’s legacy.

This requires more than a grand signing in an Egyptian seaside resort but genuine long-term commitment. Demonstrate that and yes Trump could justifiably secure a Nobel Peace prize.