The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, announced on October 10, went to Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado. The award had already drawn attention due to US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he “deserved” the honour for having “ended eight wars.”
Last week, Trump suggested he could achieve a ninth peace deal if Israel and Hamas accepted his plan to end the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, he said, “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.”
Historical context
Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Prize follows the example of four former US presidents — Barack Obama (2009), Jimmy Carter (2002), Woodrow Wilson (1919), and Theodore Roosevelt (1906). All except Carter received the award while in office. Obama’s award sparked debate, as it came just eight months into his presidency, leading to questions about whether he had achieved enough to merit it.
Committee’s response
Asked about Trump not receiving the prize this year, Nobel Committee president Jorgen Watne Frydnes said, “In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, this committee has seen every type of campaign, media tension... we receive thousands of letters every year about what peace means to people. This committee sits in a room filled with portraits of all laureates — filled with courage and integrity. We base our decisions only on work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
Why Trump did not win
Firstly, even after his plans and peace talks, Trump’s efforts did not lead to a Nobel win. One major reason is that nominations for this year’s prize, which saw 338 entries, closed at the end of January — just after he returned to the White House.
Secondly, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recognises work done in 2024, a period when Trump had been elected but had not yet taken office.
Thirdly, during his two terms as President, Trump was nominated multiple times by global leaders including Russia, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, a Ukrainian politician, and lawmakers from the US, Sweden, and Norway. However, nominations alone do not make someone a candidate, and the Nobel Committee never discloses the names of nominees before the winner is announced.
Wars Trump claimed to end
Trump listed eight conflicts where he claimed to have mediated or achieved peace efforts:
- Israel and Iran
- Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Serbia and Kosovo
- Thailand and Cambodia
- India and Pakistan
- Egypt and Ethiopia
He also announced a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza as part of his peace initiative, which he called the eighth. However, several of these claims — including India and Pakistan — remain disputed, with fact-checkers questioning their accuracy.