The White House has issued a scathing rebuke of the Norwegian Nobel Committee following its decision to award the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, bypassing President Donald Trump, who was widely expected to be a top contender for the honor.
In a statement released by White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, the administration accused the Nobel Committee of “placing politics over peace,” citing President Trump’s recent diplomatic achievements, including brokering ceasefires in multiple global conflicts.
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives,” Cheung declared. “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 announcement of Machado’s win came just hours after confirmation of a landmark ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, a deal Trump’s administration helped broker alongside Egypt and Qatar. The White House emphasized that this agreement, along with Trump’s role in mediating tensions between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia, and Israel and Iran, should have merited Nobel recognition.
The Nobel Committee clarified that its deliberations concluded before the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was finalized. Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes stated, “We base our decision solely on the work and will of Alfred Nobel,” adding that Machado’s courageous advocacy for democracy in Venezuela exemplified the prize’s ideals.
The snub has sparked debate across political and diplomatic circles. Trump supporters argue that his peace efforts surpass those of previous laureates, including former President Barack Obama, whom Trump criticized for winning “without doing anything.” Critics of the White House response, however, caution against politicizing the Nobel Prize and emphasize the committee’s independence.