President Donald Trump sharply criticized the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the nation of Norway on Friday after the panel selected South African jurist Navi Pillay as the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize instead of him.
Speaking at a campaign event in Syracuse, New York, to support Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman and attorney general nominee Saritha Komatireddy, Trump spent a substantial portion of his address venting his frustration over being passed over for the global honor.
Grievances over committee selection
Trump told rally attendees that the committee’s decision was “disgraceful and embarrassing” and claimed the outcome leaves “an indelible stain on the country of Norway,” NBC News reported. The president asserted that he should have received recognition on behalf of the country, arguing that he had resolved multiple wars and deserved an award for each one, according to the New York Post.
“We should have had eight Nobel Prizes for each war,” Trump said, alleging that the selection process was steered by radical ideologues who discredited the institution, the New York Post reported. He added that the United States “will not forget” Norway’s decision.
Earlier Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the prize would go to Pillay, an 85-year-old legal pioneer and former United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes said Pillay was recognized for strengthening international legal mechanisms and advancing accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, BBC News reported. Pillay previously headed a U.N. panel that found Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, NBC News noted.
Pillay received word of the distinction while at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany, responding that “it must be a joke” before expressing her gratitude, BBC News reported. Addressing the audience, she quipped, “If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump.”
Disputes over global conflicts
At the Syracuse rally, Trump dismissed Pillay as an unknown figure, referring to her as a “mystery person” and a “liberal person who works at the United Nations,” according to the New York Post.
Trump maintained that his record surpassed any other leader, claiming he had saved “more lives than anyone in history” and thwarted Iran’s nuclear aspirations, The Guardian reported. However, U.S. intelligence officials told Congress in 2025 that Iran halted its pursuit of nuclear weapons back in 2003, The Guardian noted. The Guardian also pointed out that Trump’s administration initiated an active military conflict with Iran earlier this year and has yet to resolve the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, despite Trump’s assurances to rallygoers that he would end both quickly.
The push for a Nobel Peace Prize has been a recurring theme for Trump. After Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the honor in 2025, she presented her medal to Trump during a January meeting at the White House, prompting the committee to issue a clarification that awards cannot be shared, revoked, or transferred, BBC News reported.
During the Syracuse event, Trump also directed verbal attacks at sitting New York Attorney General Letitia James, calling her a “dog,” NBC News reported. A campaign spokesperson for James responded by emphasizing the contrast between James and Trump’s endorsed candidate.
With the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony set to take place in Oslo later this year, it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will take any formal diplomatic or policy actions against Norway following his remarks.
