White House response after Trump misses Nobel Peace Prize, insists he “deserves” it

Donald Trump did not receive this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The committee in Oslo awarded the honor to Venezuelan opposition figure and pro-democracy advocate Maria Corina Machado, announced Friday, October 10.

Speculation had swirled beforehand that Trump might emerge as the latest laureate. He did not. In the aftermath, the White House issued a pointed rejoinder.

Steven Cheung, the White House Director of Communications, castigated the decision, arguing that the Nobel panel “privileges politics over peace.” He maintained that President Trump would continue brokering agreements, winding down wars, and “saving lives,” portraying him as a singular humanitarian force capable of “moving mountains” through willpower.

Specialists in the prize were unconvinced. Asle Sveen—author and historian of the Nobel Peace Prize—contended that Trump had “no chance” of receiving the award this year, as reported by ABC News. The touchstone is Alfred Nobel’s will: the prize should honor the individual who has done “the most or the best” to advance fellowship among nations. Nina Graeger, director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo, assessed that Trump’s record does not satisfy that standard.

Trump’s name entered the conversation largely because he put it there. In February, seated beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, he predicted the committee would “never” select him, while asserting he merited the recognition. He has repeatedly argued that his influence curtailed conflicts worldwide. In August, during a summit with Ukrainian and European leaders, the 79-year-old declared he had “ended six wars,” emphasizing finalized deals rather than temporary ceasefires.

When unveiling Machado as the 2025 laureate, the Nobel Committee underscored a broader theme: democracy as a prerequisite for durable peace. The announcement lamented democratic backsliding and the readiness of authoritarian regimes to flout norms and resort to violence. Against that backdrop, the committee praised Machado’s steadfast advocacy for a peaceful transition to democracy—work it deemed emblematic of the prize’s purpose.