Nobel Chief Shrugs Off Trump Peace Prize Push

The chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee defended the panel's decision not to honor President Donald Trump this year, implying that the president's global peace efforts fell short of Alfred Nobel's standard for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, the New York Post reported.

Nobel Committee Chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes was asked about mounting calls to grant Trump the award following his efforts to end the Israel-Hamas war. The president had said it would be "an insult to the U.S." if he were denied the honor.

The deadline for nominations closed Jan. 31, just days after Trump began his second term in office, meaning any nominations related to his recent peace efforts will apply to the 2026 prize. Yet Frydnes' remarks appeared to go beyond the technicality of timing.

"In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, I think this committee has seen many types of campaign, media attention," Frydnes said, without naming Trump.

"We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what, for them, leads to peace.

"This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity," he said.

"So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel."

The five-member committee announced Monday that the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize would go to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for her work advancing democracy and human rights.

The decision drew swift reactions from Trump's supporters, who argue that the president's diplomatic successes deserve similar recognition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined those calls, posting an image on social media showing Trump with a Nobel medal and writing, "Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize — he deserves it!"

Trump's allies have pointed to his role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as efforts to stabilize relations between Russia and Ukraine.

Supporters also cite his administration's peace-driven outreach in other global conflict zones as further justification for the honor.

Despite those accomplishments, the Nobel Committee emphasized that its decisions are rooted in Nobel's original intent: rewarding "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations."

Frydnes' comments hinted that public pressure campaigns — no matter how vocal — would not sway the committee.

Machado was recognized "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."

The committee praised her as "one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times."

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