U.S. President Donald Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize this year, despite spending months publicly campaigning for it. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was instead awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was recognized for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela.”
Trump’s Long Campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize
The announcement was made on Friday, October 10, by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The committee’s chair, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, described Machado as a “brave and committed champion of peace.” He explained that she met all the requirements outlined by Alfred Nobel, the founder of the award. According to Frydnes, Machado has played a key role in bringing Venezuela’s opposition together and has been steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy.
Trump, who is 79 years old and currently in his second term as president, had openly declared for more than a year that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. He often repeated his belief that he should win for negotiating peace agreements and helping to end wars across different regions. On multiple occasions, he stated that his administration had resolved conflicts that “no one else could.”
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Trump has claimed credit for helping to broker ceasefire agreements between Israel and Iran, Cambodia and Thailand, and India and Pakistan. However, experts have questioned the accuracy of some of these claims. For instance, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, fighting still continues between rival military groups, and in the case of Egypt and Ethiopia, tensions remain high over access to the Nile River.
While Trump insists that his diplomacy brought peace, many of his so-called victories appear unclear or exaggerated. In the case of Serbia and Kosovo, for example, analysts pointed out that there was no war to end in the first place.
The Committee’s Explanation and Public Reactions
When asked about Trump’s campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize, Frydnes noted that the committee receives thousands of letters each year from people who suggest names or argue for certain candidates. He said that the committee bases its decisions solely on the work and values that match Alfred Nobel’s will, not on publicity or campaigning.
Frydnes stated, “This committee sits in a room filled with portraits of all past Nobel Peace Prize laureates — people known for courage and integrity. We make our choices based only on their contributions to peace.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee actually made its decision several days before Trump’s latest peace announcement involving Israel and Gaza. On Monday of that week, the committee had already chosen the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Trump’s peace proposal, which he unveiled on Wednesday night, came too late to influence the outcome.
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Trump’s loss of the Nobel Peace Prize has triggered mixed reactions worldwide. Some have praised the committee’s decision to honor a figure like Machado, who represents peaceful activism in a troubled country. Others have focused on Trump’s disappointment after publicly comparing himself to former President Barack Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump often told crowds, “If my name were Obama, I’d have a Nobel Peace Prize in 10 seconds.” This comment reflected his long-standing rivalry with Obama, who once made jokes about Trump during the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. That evening, Obama humorously referenced Trump’s reality show The Apprentice and mocked his “birther” conspiracy theories.
Since that public roasting, Trump has repeatedly mentioned Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win as something he believes he deserves more. His comments about the award have become a regular feature of his speeches, especially during international negotiations.
Norway Prepares for Trump’s Reaction
Ahead of the announcement, officials in Norway expressed concern about how Trump might respond if he did not win. Kirsti Bergstø, leader of Norway’s Socialist Left Party, told The Guardian that her country was preparing for possible reactions from the U.S. president.
“Donald Trump is taking the U.S. in an extreme direction,” Bergstø said. “He has attacked freedom of speech, used masked secret police to kidnap people in broad daylight, and weakened public institutions and courts. When a president acts this unpredictably, of course we must be ready for anything.”
She clarified that the Nobel Committee operates independently and that the Norwegian government has no influence over the prize’s selection. However, Bergstø added that she wasn’t sure Trump understood that distinction.
In the United States, some politicians from both major parties have offered different opinions. Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, who is known for occasionally siding with Republicans, said that Trump could deserve the prize if he truly brought an end to wars. He stated, “If this sticks, and if he ends the Ukrainian war, I will be the Democrat leading the committee for his Nobel Peace Prize.”
Still, the timing made Fetterman’s comment irrelevant. The Nobel Committee’s decision was already finalized, and Trump’s peace initiatives did not play any role in the 2025 award.
Trump’s repeated references to his own worthiness for the Nobel Prize — and his frustration over not receiving it — have added yet another chapter to his complicated legacy. While he continues to highlight his global peace efforts, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize will go down in history as belonging to María Corina Machado, whose recognition celebrates a lifelong dedication to democracy and peace in Venezuela.
