Nobel Peace Prize committee says Trump’s campaign won’t influence vote
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The Nobel Peace Prize committee says it will not be swayed by Donald Trump’s push to win the award, stressing its independence from political campaigns.
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US President Donald Trump gestures during the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, Monday, January 20, 2025. (AP)
The Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize committee has dismissed suggestions that US President Donald Trump’s push for the award could sway its decision. Officials stressed that the committee operates independently and cannot be influenced by political campaigns.
“Of course, we do notice that there is a lot of media attention towards particular candidates,” said Kristian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the committee, in an interview with AFP in Oslo. “But that really has no impact on the discussions that are going on in the committee.”
This year’s laureate will be announced on October 10.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly claimed he “deserves” the Nobel Prize, citing his role in ending wars and pledging to resolve conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. He has highlighted nominations and support from foreign leaders, including "Israel’s" Benjamin Netanyahu and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev.
However, nominations for the 2024 award closed on January 31, just 11 days after Trump took office, raising questions about the legitimacy of these endorsements.
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How the Nobel Peace Prize nomination process works
Nominations can be made by members of parliament, cabinet ministers, former laureates, and university professors worldwide. Thousands of people are eligible to put names forward, but the longlist of 338 candidates remains secret for 50 years.
“To be nominated is not necessarily a great achievement. The great achievement is to become a laureate,” Berg Harpviken explained. He emphasized that the committee relies on expert evaluations, not media campaigns, when selecting a winner.
US politics and the Nobel Prize debate
Trump has reportedly raised the Peace Prize issue directly with Norwegian officials. According to Norwegian media, he mentioned it during a July phone call with Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg while discussing tariffs.
Despite such efforts, the committee maintains that its decisions are free from political considerations. Past precedent includes awarding the 2010 prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, despite opposition from Norway’s government, which led to a diplomatic freeze with Beijing.
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Norwegian analysts argue that Trump’s campaign is unlikely to succeed. “This type of pressure usually turns out to be counter-productive,” said Halvard Leira of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.
In August, three Nobel historians published an op-ed listing reasons Trump should not receive the honor, citing his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and skepticism toward multilateralism.
“If the committee were to give the prize to Trump now, it would obviously be accused of kowtowing,” Leira warned, stressing the importance of preserving the committee’s independence.
