(BBC News) The White House has accused the Nobel Committee of placing “politics over peace” for awarding its most coveted prize to a Venezuelan pro-democracy activist over President Donald Trump.
On Friday, the Committee announced María Coria Machado would receive the Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.”
Trump has been outspoken about his desire for the award, taking credit for ending several global conflicts. He regularly brought it up, including during his address to the UN General Assembly in September.
“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said after the announcement.
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives,” Cheung wrote on X. “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.”
Trump has played a significant role in forcing a multi-stage deal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which was announced two days before the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded.
The president has also asserted that he ended numerous global conflicts during his nine months in office, and in his previous term.
Following the announcement of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, Trump declared: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS.” The White House called him “the peace president”.
Trump’s ambitions for a Nobel Peace Prize are well known, and mentioning his name for the award has become common among leaders seeking to advance diplomatic interests with the US.
Many foreign leaders, including Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have publicly argued that Trump deserves the prestigious honour.
Asked by reporters to react to the Nobel Prize, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Trump was doing a lot to resolve complex crises.
“Thank you to President Putin!” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday alongside a video of Putin saying “this award has lost credibility”.
Machado herself praised Trump on X following her win, writing that “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”
Trump reshared Machado’s message on his Truth Social platform.
But despite the lobbying, Trump faced hurdles this year.
Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize close on January 31 of each year, according to the awards website, just days after Trump took office.
The Nobel Committee meets between February and September to whittle down the list of nominees.
It is not clear what achievement Trump would have secured for this year.
Russia’s war with Ukraine continues to rage, despite Trump’s demands that both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin broker an end to the bloodshed.
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is a significant development, but it is still in its initial stage.
In his second term, Trump has pursued an “America-first” policy, dramatically reshaping its place in the global economy and diplomatic stage.
The Nobel Committee awards the Peace Prize to leaders who champion “arms control and disarmament, peace negotiation, democracy and human rights, and work aimed at creating a better organized and more peaceful world,” according to its website.
Four US presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama. Only Obama won the prize while in office.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7842qg15p6o
