Trump team blasts Nobel Committee for passing president over

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 18:32

White House denounces Nobel Peace Prize decision to honor Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado, saying Trump deserved recognition for the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Listen

Former President Jimmy Carter's 2002 Nobel Peace Prize is seen on display at the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, Monday, December 30, 2024, in Plains, Ga. (AP)

The White House on Friday strongly condemned the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, rather than US President Donald Trump, who had heavily promoted his role in international peace negotiations.

“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,” White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in a post on X.

“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” he added.

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.

The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace. https://t.co/dwCEWjE0GE
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) October 10, 2025

The criticism comes shortly after Trump brokered a new Gaza ceasefire deal, including a captive exchange, aimed at allegedly ending "Israel's" aggressions on the besieged Palestinian territory. Trump and his team had also pointed to this and other diplomatic efforts as justification for his nomination.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he ended multiple wars during his presidency and has long expressed the belief that he is deserving of the prize. He has also openly accused the Nobel Committee of political bias.

Maria Corina Machado named 2025 laureate

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Machado, a prominent Venezuelan opposition leader. The committee said it was recognizing “courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist authoritarian regimes."

The decision has triggered reactions in Washington, where Trump supporters argued that peace efforts led by the US president, including the Gaza ceasefire, were being ignored due to political motivations.

President Trump did not release an official statement following the announcement but posted three videos on his Truth Social platform Friday morning, showing supporters celebrating the Gaza deal.

'Big insult'

In previous remarks, Trump expressed skepticism about his chances, suggesting he expected to be passed over.

“Will you get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not. They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing,” he told US military leaders last month.

Trump added that it would be a “big insult” to the United States if he did not receive the honor.

Though nominations for the 2025 prize closed on January 31, just days after Trump returned to the White House for a second term on January 20, his name reportedly remained on the shortlist, alongside other controversial figures in past years.

The White House maintains that Trump's efforts, particularly in relation to ceasefires and de-escalation deals, have contributed to regional stability.

Vladimir Putin commenting on Trump's Nobel bid

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, in comments on the Nobel Peace Prize, stated that the Nobel Committee repeatedly awarded the Peace Prize to unworthy nominees.

"In my opinion, they have caused enormous damage to the credibility of this award with this decision," he said.

The Russian president also commented on the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks about Kiev nominating Trump for the prize if the US sends Tomahawks, noting that linking the prize with arms supplies is ridiculous.