The White House has accused the Nobel committee of putting “politics before peace” by awarding its most coveted prize to a Venezuelan pro-democracy activist rather than President Donald Trump.
On Friday, the Committee announced that María Coria Machado would receive the Peace Prize for her “tireless work for the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people.”
Trump has been open about his desire for the award, taking credit for ending several global conflicts. He spoke about it regularly, notably during his speech to the UN General Assembly in September.
“The Nobel Committee has proven that it puts politics before peace,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said after the announcement.
“President Trump will continue to make peace deals, end wars and save lives,” Cheung wrote on X. “He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with sheer force of will.”
Trump played a significant role in forcing a multi-stage ceasefire agreement in Gaza, announced two days before the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded.
The president also claimed to have ended many global conflicts during his nine months in office and during his previous term.
Following the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Trump declared: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The White House called him “the peace president.”
Many of his allies, and even some foreign leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have explained why they believe Trump should receive the prestigious award.
But despite the lobbying, Trump has faced obstacles this year.
Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize close on January 31 each year, according to the awards website, just days after Trump takes office.
The Nobel committee meets between February and September to narrow down the list of nominees.
It is not clear what outcome Trump would have achieved this year.
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues to rage, despite Trump’s demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin negotiate to end the bloodshed.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is an important development, but it is still in its early stages.
During his second term, Trump pursued an “America First” policy, radically reshaping his place in the global economy and on the diplomatic stage.
Within weeks of taking office, his then-advisor Elon Musk oversaw the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided humanitarian aid around the world.
The Nobel Committee awards the Peace Prize to leaders who champion “arms control and disarmament, peace negotiations, democracy and human rights, and work to create a better organized and more peaceful world,” according to its website.
Trump’s mass deportation policies have sparked protests across the United States and drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups and humanitarian organizations.
Trump’s attempt to use National Guard troops to patrol U.S. cities with the stated aim of controlling violence and crime has drawn concern from Democrats and rebukes from federal judges over his use of the military at home.
Four American presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.
Only Obama won the award while in office.
