- Trump criticized 2026 Nobel Peace Prize award to Navi Pillay.
- He believes he deserved the award, calling the decision
- Recipient Navi Pillay joked about sharing prize with Trump.
- Trump previously desired award; experts cited policy issues.
US President Donald Trump has criticised the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize decision, arguing that the award should have gone to him instead of South African jurist Navi Pillay. Speaking to supporters in Syracuse, New York, on Friday, Trump described the selection as “a disgraceful and embarrassing decision” and accused the committee of discrediting the prestigious award. Pillay, a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and an international judge, was recognised for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Trump’s remarks followed the announcement of her selection by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The US president also targeted Norway over the decision, saying it had left an “indelible stain” on the country.
Trump Questions Nobel Committee
Addressing supporters at the rally, Trump said he was unfamiliar with Pillay but offered a brief congratulatory remark before insisting that the United States, under his leadership, deserved the award.
“I never heard of this particular person, but congratulations anyway,” he said adding, “The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t.”
Trump went on to criticise the decision in stronger terms, arguing that the award had lost credibility.
“The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilisation,” Trump said, as per reports.
Last year, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had explained to Trump that the committee, based in Norway, independently determines the recipient.
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Why Trump Faced Questions
Trump has openly expressed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize since returning to the White House in January 2025. However, experts in Oslo had pointed to several aspects of his policies that they believed weakened his prospects.
These included his war against Iran, territorial ambitions involving Greenland, hard-line immigration policies and confrontations with multilateral institutions and the media.
Nobel Committee Defends Pillay
The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognised Pillay for her contribution to peace and international law, saying her work had helped pave the way for a “more comprehensive global legal order”.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, highlighted her contribution to accountability for grave international crimes.
Her career has included work on cases involving war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, as well as senior positions in international judicial and human rights institutions.
The award includes a gold medal, a diploma and prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately $1.2 million.
Pillay Jokes About Sharing Prize
Pillay, 85, reacted to the announcement from the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany, where she was welcomed by those gathered to congratulate her.
Initially expressing disbelief, she said “it must be a joke” before thanking the people who had assembled to applaud her.
She then made a light-hearted reference to Trump while addressing the gathering.
“If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump,” she joked.
Machado’s Medal Gesture Returns
The controversy has also revived memories of an earlier meeting between Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
In January, Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a meeting at the White House. She said the gesture recognised his commitment to her country’s freedom, while Trump described it on social media as “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect”.
The Nobel Committee subsequently clarified that the prize itself cannot be transferred to another person.
