US President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Norway and the Norwegian Nobel Committee after it was not awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. He said that the United States, which he represents as president, deserved the award and described the decision as “disgraceful“.
“The Nobel Peace Prize has been completely discredited by a group of radical ideologues who are against democracy and are truly enemies of civilization”, Trump said at a rally in Syracuse, New York, quoted by the Associated Press. “We will not forget, Norway“, he added.
The American president also said that his country should have been recognized for actions that he presents as achievements in the field of international security and the cessation of conflicts. According to him, the United States even deserved several awards for each of the wars that he believes were limited or prevented.
The prize was awarded to Navi Pillay
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on October 9 that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 will go to South African lawyer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Pillay served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. She served as a judge at the International Criminal Court and as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya Muslims.
As a lawyer in South Africa during apartheid, Pillay defended the rights of political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela. After the regime ended, she became the first non-white woman appointed to the country's Supreme Court.
Gaza dispute heightens political resonance
Pillay also chaired a UN commission that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel denied the charges. According to the Associated Press, the award decision is also likely to be seen as a criticism of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have strongly rejected the commission's findings and have criticized international courts.
Trump called Pillay "a liberal figure who works at the United Nations who nobody has heard of." He said he did not know her personally, but added: "In any case, congratulations."
Trump has long insisted that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2025, the award was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who later presented her medal to the US president. However, the Nobel Committee specified that the award itself cannot be transferred to another person.
Sources: apnews.com, nobelpeaceprize.org, theguardian.com