Former President Donald Trump has missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize after the Norwegian committee awarded the honor to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Trump had long sought the prize and believed his role in brokering the recent Israel–Hamas ceasefire might have finally secured it for him. Supporters within his MAGA movement, led by his son Eric Trump, publicly called for him to be recognized for his efforts in Gaza, with some even suggesting the award be renamed after him instead of its founder, Alfred Nobel.
When asked about his chances earlier this week, Trump was noticeably restrained. “I have no idea,” he told a White House reporter. “Look, I did settle — Marco [Rubio] will tell you — we settled seven wars. We’re close to settling an eighth, and I think we’ll end up settling the Russia situation, which is horrible. I don’t think anyone in history has settled that many, but perhaps they’ll find a reason not to give it to me.”
Asle Toje, deputy leader of the Nobel Committee, had earlier suggested that Trump’s outspoken campaigning for the award might have harmed his chances. “These types of influence campaigns have a more negative effect than a positive one,” Toje said. “We talk about it on the committee. Some candidates push for it really hard, and we do not like it.”
