On October 13, 2025, the international spotlight turned to the Norwegian Nobel Committee as it announced the recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, the world’s attention seemed less fixed on the winner, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, and more on the man who did not take home the honor—U.S. President Donald Trump. The aftermath, marked by Trump’s vocal disappointment and a swirl of political intrigue, has left the Nobel Peace Prize embroiled in a controversy that few could have predicted.
President Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Tel Aviv, was quick to address his perceived snub. He emphasized his recent diplomatic achievements, particularly related to the Gaza conflict. “The Gaza conflict marks the eighth war I have successfully handled,” Trump declared, according to the New York Post. He framed these efforts as part of his broader mission to resolve conflicts and bring peace, calling it “a great honor.”
Trump also highlighted the support he received from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had publicly nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. “He was the right man for this moment,” Trump said, praising Netanyahu as “a wartime leader who did a remarkable job.” The president’s remarks, however, quickly shifted from praise to frustration as he reflected on the Nobel Committee’s decision. “Perhaps the Nobel was for the achievements related to 2024,” Trump mused, noting that the award’s timing seemed to work against him. “Everything I did in 2025 was for peace.”
As reported by LADbible, Trump’s disappointment was palpable; he even joked to military leaders, “Nobody’s ever done that. Will you get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not. They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing.” His sense of injustice was echoed by members of his administration, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung suggesting on X (formerly Twitter) that the Nobel Committee had placed “politics over peace” in choosing Machado over Trump.
The Nobel Committee’s decision, as explained by the New York Post, was finalized two days before the announcement of the peace agreement between Hamas and Israel—a diplomatic breakthrough that Trump’s team had hoped would tip the scales in his favor. Instead, the prestigious award went to Maria Corina Machado, recognized for her “work in promoting democratic rights for the Venezuelan people and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Machado herself seemed acutely aware of the political storm swirling around her win. In a message posted to X, she acknowledged Trump’s support in the fight against Venezuela’s autocratic government. According to Trump, Machado even called him after the announcement, saying, “I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it.” Trump added, “A really nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though,” offering a rare moment of levity amid the tension.
The controversy, however, did not end with Trump’s comments. According to DotDotNews, opinion columnist Philip Yeung described the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize as being “overshadowed by one man: Donald Trump.” Yeung argued that the Committee’s decision was a “shrewd move, cold-shouldering Trump without teeing him off,” noting that Machado’s win was a “safe bet” given her opposition to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro—himself a frequent target of Trump’s foreign policy. The columnist further speculated on the risks Norway faced in denying Trump the prize, including possible retaliatory tariffs or demands for increased NATO military spending.
Critics have pointed to Trump’s lobbying efforts as unseemly and unprecedented. Yeung cited reports that Trump had called Norway’s finance minister to discuss the Nobel Peace Prize, in the same conversation in which he discussed tariffs—a linkage that raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles. Trump also took to social media to warn that denying him the prize would be “an insult to America,” a move some saw as holding Norway “hostage and demanding a ransom.”
Rumors even circulated that Trump had been disqualified from consideration, though the Nobel Nomination Committee denied this outright. Still, the sense of anxiety in Oslo was palpable, with Norway bracing for Trump’s reaction. “This is a dangerous man, an uncontrollable wrecking ball,” Yeung wrote, capturing the unease felt by many in the international community.
Meanwhile, the debate over Trump’s qualifications for the Nobel Peace Prize has raged on. Trump has repeatedly touted his record, claiming to have “ended seven wars” during his time in office and suggesting that a successful peace negotiation between Israel and Hamas could be his “eighth.” Yet, as historian Theo Zenou explained to ABC, “There’s a huge difference between getting fighting to stop in the short-term and resolving the root causes of the conflict.” Zenou also noted that Trump’s disregard for climate change and confrontational style likely worked against him in the eyes of the Nobel judges, who traditionally value sustained, bridge-building efforts over quick wins.
It is not the first time the Nobel Peace Prize has sparked debate. Former President Barack Obama’s win in 2009, just nine months into his first term, was similarly controversial. Committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland defended the decision, saying, “We simply disagree, he got the prize for what he has done.” But as Zenou observed, “When you look at previous winners who have been bridge-builders, embodied international cooperation and reconciliation: These are not words we associate with Donald Trump.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin even weighed in, declaring that the Nobel Prize had “lost credibility” following Trump’s loss. Such international commentary only fueled the controversy, underscoring the extent to which this year’s award has become a global touchpoint for debates over peace, politics, and the meaning of the Nobel itself.
For now, the Nobel Committee stands by its choice, emphasizing Machado’s courage and commitment to democratic ideals. Yet, as the dust settles, one thing is clear: the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize will be remembered as much for the uproar surrounding Trump’s exclusion as for the achievements of its actual recipient. Whether this marks a turning point for the prize—or simply another chapter in its long and sometimes turbulent history—remains to be seen.
