White House Made Bizarre Demands for Trump’s Bogus Peace Prize
A report has outlined how the White House dictated FIFA’s Peace Prize ceremony to Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump’s aides demanded that FIFA’s made-up “peace prize” awarded to him be literally as big as the World Cup.
The White House gave FIFA a list of demands regarding the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, which was invented by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, 55, to present to Trump at the World Cup draw for the 2026 games, according to a report from The Times of London.
After losing out on the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump was awarded the hastily created "FIFA Peace Prize."
Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
The top demand was that the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize trophy be as large as the actual FIFA World Cup Trophy, sources told Martyn Ziegler, The Times’ sports reporter.
The FIFA World Cup stands 14.5 inches high and is made of 18-carat solid gold. The specifications of the Peace Prize trophy are unknown, but it appears to stand at least a foot tall.
The White House reportedly demanded that the FIFA Peace Prize trophy be at least as large as the FIFA World Cup Trophy, which stands at 14.5 inches tall.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The White House also demanded that two soldiers flank Trump, 79, as he received the hardware, though that didn’t happen. Ultimately, two U.S. Marines brought out the gifts to present to Trump.
Though Trump and FIFA coyly pretended not to know beforehand who would receive the prize before it was awarded to Trump, The Times’ reporting stated that Trump coordinated with FIFA to give himself the honor, which had seemed obvious ever since FIFA announced the creation of a new “peace prize” on Nov. 5, after Trump missed out on the actual Nobel Peace Prize.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump received a trophy, a medal, and a certificate for his contributions to “world peace” at the Dec. 5 ceremony. The actual Nobel Peace Prize recipient only receives a medal.
The award is already facing an ethics probe from a FIFA watchdog. The advocacy group FairSquare alleged Infantino committed “repeated breaches” of FIFA’s obligation to political neutrality by buddying up to Trump.
Infantino has been accused of sucking up to the president by showering him with prizes and trophies.
Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
“In offering clear support for President Trump’s political agenda at home and abroad, Mr. Infantino has breached that duty, and done so in a way that poses a clear threat to the integrity and reputation of football and of FIFA itself,” reads the complaint.
Trump’s friendship with Infantino was well-documented before the Peace Prize controversy.
In July, the organization set up a new office in Trump Tower. That same month, FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea were forced to hoist a replica of the FIFA Club World Cup trophy because Trump was using the actual gold trophy as an Oval Office decoration after Infantino gave it to him in March.
Trump kept the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in the Oval Office, so the ultimate winners, Chelsea, had to hoist a replica.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Beyond doing Trump a bevy of favors, it seems Infantino may also be kept abreast of some of the president’s plans. During the World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center, Infantino referred to the venue as the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”
Trump’s hand-picked Kennedy Center board voted to rename it the “Trump-Kennedy Center” two weeks later. Construction workers installed Trump’s name on the building on Friday morning, though the renaming is legally dubious, as it would take an act of Congress to formally rename the Kennedy Center.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…