The White House has sharply criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee for overlooking President Donald Trump in this year’s Peace Prize announcement, accusing the body of prioritising “politics over peace.”
LEADERSHIP reports that on Friday, the Committee awarded Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for what it called her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.”
But, the decision drew immediate backlash from the White House, which argued that President Trump’s recent diplomatic breakthroughs, including a multi-stage ceasefire deal in Gaza, made him more deserving of the honour.
“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung in a statement after the announcement.
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.”
Trump, who has long expressed interest in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, has often cited his role in brokering ceasefires and ending conflicts around the world. Following the recent Gaza ceasefire deal, he posted on Truth Social, “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS.”
The White House subsequently described him as “the peace president.”
Several global leaders have echoed support for Trump’s nomination. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others have previously argued that Trump’s diplomatic efforts merit international recognition.
Even Russian President Vladimir Putin weighed in after Friday’s announcement, telling reporters that “this award has lost credibility” and adding that Trump “was doing a lot to resolve complex crises.”
Trump quickly responded on Truth Social, “Thank you to President Putin!” alongside a video clip of the Russian leader’s remarks.
In an unexpected twist, Machado herself praised Trump after receiving the award, dedicating it both to the Venezuelan people and to the U.S. president.
“I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Trump later reshared her post on his Truth Social platform.
Despite growing support from some quarters, Trump’s path to the 2025 Peace Prize may have been hindered by procedural timing. According to the Nobel Committee, nominations closed on January 31, just days after Trump’s return to office. The Committee typically meets from February through September to review and narrow down candidates.
It remains unclear what specific achievement might have qualified Trump for this year’s shortlist. While the Gaza ceasefire marked a major diplomatic milestone, the deal was only finalized two days before the Peace Prize announcement.
Meanwhile, Trump’s critics argue that his broader foreign and domestic policies undercut his peace credentials. His “America First” agenda, reinstated in his second term, has seen the dismantling of USAID, which once provided humanitarian aid worldwide, as well as controversial mass deportation policies and the use of National Guard troops to patrol U.S. cities — actions condemned by human rights groups and federal judges.
Since its inception, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to leaders who advance “arms control and disarmament, peace negotiation, democracy, and human rights.”
LEADERSHIP reports that Four U.S. presidents have received the honour, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama, the latter being the only one to win while still in office.
