US President Donald Trump slammed the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Syracuse, New York, on October 9, 2026, declaring the Nobel Peace Prize “disaccredited forever” after it was awarded to Navi Pillay, while insisting that he deserved the accolade for ending multiple global conflicts.
The latest rejection marks the second year Trump has missed out on the coveted prize. As clarin.com reported, the American leader enumerated a sprawling list of accomplishments he claims justify the award, including bringing an end to eight wars, securing the release of Israeli hostages, and capturing the former leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. Ben Terris asked the president about Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff’s accusation that he seeks self-glorification because no one else will erect monuments for him when he is gone, to which Trump replied, Es cierto
, adding, Nadie lo hará una vez que yo me vaya. Cuando me vaya de aquí, nadie lo hará
.
A Public Grievance and Attacks on the Committee
Speaking to a packed crowd at The Oncenter in Syracuse, Trump did not hold back his frustration over the committee’s choice. According to Infobae, the president called the decision “vergonzosa” (shameful) and argued that the United States, through his leadership, should have taken home the prize. He stated at the rally, Estados Unidos de América, representados por mí como su presidente, deberían haber recibido el Premio Nobel de la Paz, pero no lo hicieron
.
He later expanded his critique in a nearly 600-word post on Truth Social near midnight. In that message, transcribed by cnnespanol.cnn.com, Trump maintained that he had “saved more lives than anyone in the history” of the world. He targeted the Norwegian panel directly, branding them as an insulated group of ideological radicals. Before posting on his social network, Trump had already questioned the committee, asking how he and the United States could be passed over when he put an end to eight wars, came close to resolving two more, recovered all Israeli hostages including the final 28 living and deceased captives, brought home hundreds of other hostages globally, won a war in Venezuela by capturing its brutal dictator, and stopped Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, complaining, Sin embargo, a pesar de todo eso, ni yo ni los Estados Unidos de América recibimos el Premio Nobel de la Paz
. When Trump failed to win the prize the previous year, FIFA created its own peace prize and awarded it to him in an overt bid to ingratiate itself with the president.
“The Nobel Peace Prize has been discredited forever by a handful of radical ideologues who are antidemocratic and true enemies of civilization,” Trump declared during his rally address, as noted by clarin.com.
Contrasting Laureates and the Curious Case of the Medal
The recipient of this year’s honor, Navi Pillay, is a jurist. Upon learning of her victory, Pillay offered a lighthearted jab at the American president, joking to reporters that she might share the award if the audience applauded just a bit louder, as reported by Infobae.
The quest for the prize has previously taken unusual turns.
| Event / Development | Details | Key Actors |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Nobel Announcement | Awarded to Navi Pillay | Norwegian Nobel Committee, Navi Pillay |
| Trump’s Grievance | Claimed credit for ending 8 wars, capturing Maduro, and freeing hostages | Donald Trump |
| US Retaliation | Enforced sanctions and blocked transactions targeting the International Criminal Court | Marco Rubio, US Government |
| Prior Symbolic Gesture | María Corina Machado handed her physical 2025 medal to Trump in a gesture not recognized by Oslo | María Corina Machado, Donald Trump |
Public Skepticism and the Global Field of 287 Candidates
While Trump maintains that his diplomatic interventions changed the course of modern history, his pursuit of the medal has found mixed reception at home. Citing a Washington Post survey, cnnespanol.cnn.com pointed out that only 22 percent of Americans and 49 percent of Republicans believed the president genuinely deserved the peace prize.
Before the committee made its final choice in Oslo, analysts and bookmakers weighed a massive pool of 287 candidates—comprising 208 individuals and 79 organizations. According to Diario Norte, strong contenders this year included Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, a network of 26,000 civilian volunteers who established community kitchens, medical care, and high-risk evacuations amid severe international aid cuts, alongside figures like Yulia Navalnaya, widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
With the 2026 prize safely in Pillay’s hands, Trump’s ongoing war of words with Oslo highlights a widening chasm between traditional multilateral institutions and the hard-power diplomacy favored by Washington.
Worth a look
