His initial public reaction [0]: > This is not how I expected to wake up this morning. > I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishment. But rathe

His initial public reaction [0]: > This is not how I expected to wake up this morning. > I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishment. But rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations. To be honest, I do not feel like I deserve to be in the company of so many of the trans formative figures that have been honored by this prize. Looking at his eventual speach[1], it is pretty clear his view didn't change: > And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. [humble boilerplate about other people being more deserving] > But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 42 other countries -- including Norway -- in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks. > Still, we are at war, and I'm responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill, and some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict -- filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other. He goes on to talk about how war is paradoxically necessary for peace. But even then, he talks about historic examples, not anything in particular he has done. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbOWxc7Wwrg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbOWxc7Wwrg [1] https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-acceptance-nobel-peace-prize https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/remark...