WASHINGTON: The White House criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday for awarding the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado instead of US President Donald Trump, accusing the body of prioritising “politics over peace.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a post on X that the decision reflected bias against Trump’s record on global diplomacy.
“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” Cheung wrote. “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.”
President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives.
He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.
The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace. https://t.co/dwCEWjE0GE
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) October 10, 2025
Nobel awarded to Venezuela’s Machado
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced earlier on Friday that this year’s Peace Prize would go to Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader recognised for her “courageous defence of freedom and democracy” under President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
In its statement, the committee praised Machado and her movement as “courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist despite repression and personal risk.”
BREAKING NEWS
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado 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… pic.twitter.com/Zgth8KNJk9— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025
The decision drew swift reaction from Washington, where Trump’s aides and allies had openly expressed confidence that he would win the prize following what they described as a series of “historic peace achievements.”
Trump’s push for the Nobel
Since returning to the White House for a second term in January, Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for ending multiple global conflicts.
On Thursday, he said the Gaza ceasefire deal marked “the eighth war” he had brought to an end.
“Whatever they do is fine,” Trump said on the eve of the Nobel announcement. “I didn’t do it for that—I did it because I’ve saved a lot of lives.”
Trump has long argued that his diplomacy should earn him a Nobel, often pointing to his administration’s Middle East peace agreements, North Korea talks, and the recent Gaza deal.
In remarks to senior US military officials last month, he said: “Will you get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not. They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing. It would be a big insult to the United States if I didn’t get it.”
Critics say Trump’s chances were slim
Experts in Oslo had earlier dismissed Trump’s prospects, noting that his “America First” policies and contentious approach to international diplomacy ran counter to the ideals of the Nobel Peace Prize as defined in Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will.
Nominations for this year’s award closed on 31 January — just eleven days after Trump’s second inauguration — making it unlikely that his administration’s latest peace efforts would have been formally submitted in time.
White House defends Trump’s record
While Trump has yet to issue an official statement on the Nobel announcement, he posted three videos on his Truth Social account on Friday morning showing supporters celebrating the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Cheung said the president’s record “speaks for itself,” citing recent agreements to end conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.
“President Trump will keep working towards peace whether the Nobel Committee recognises him or not,” Cheung added.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, announcing Machado’s win, reiterated that the Peace Prize honours individuals or groups who “promote fraternity between nations, advance disarmament, or champion human rights.”
The 2025 award marks the second consecutive year that the prize has gone to figures from Latin America.
