Trump’s Obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize Is a Farce
On Oct. 10, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was announced, and the winner was not U.S. President Donald Trump.
This means Trump’s long-cherished wish for the Nobel Peace Prize has once again fallen through. Before the announcement, Trump repeatedly emphasized that if he didn’t win the prize for supposedly “solving seven wars,” it would be “an insult to America.”
Facing Trump’s obsessive pursuit of the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stood firm, declaring before the announcement that they would not be influenced by Trump. The result was, in effect, a public slap in Trump’s face. Interestingly, after failing to win the prize, Trump did not immediately react. Instead, a White House spokesman posted on social media: "President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives." He also said, “The Nobel Committee has proven that they prioritize politics over peace.”
Trump, having been publicly humiliated, may look for ways to retaliate. His obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize stems, first of all, from his showboating personality, or more accurately, his deep-rooted self-centeredness, which makes it hard for him to tolerate what he sees as the committee’s “disrespect.” Second, Trump’s particular arrogance and constant need to compare himself to Democratic presidents are at play. He has already defeated Joe Biden politically, but former President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, which has always been a thorn in Trump’s side. Winning the prize would have allowed him to surpass Obama. In addition, Trump has repeatedly emphasized his peace achievements, claiming to have “resolved seven wars in just a few months.”
He would have seen the Nobel Peace Prize as global recognition of his diplomatic accomplishments and as a validation of the legitimacy of his presidency. Being passed over for the prize has naturally left him bitter.
Norway on High Alert
If Trump retaliates, the Nobel Committee will likely stand its ground. In fact, Trump’s retaliation could even enhance the committee’s “independence” and add a kind of moral luster to this often controversial prize. Faced with a stubborn committee and a detached winner, Trump now finds himself in an awkward situation in which he can neither lash out effectively nor remain silent without looking weak.
However, the Norwegian government is far more anxious than the committee. Officials worry that a humiliated Trump might impose tariffs on Norway, demand increased defense spending, or even label Norway an “enemy state.” These fears are not unfounded. In his second term, Trump has treated international relations as naked transactional bargaining. If something doesn’t fit his “art of the deal,” he resorts to heavy-handed pressure. For example, imposing tariffs, extorting NATO allies for security contributions, making territorial claims on Greenland, and even hinting at “annexing” Canada. From Denmark to the EU, from Canada to Japan and South Korea, many have yielded to Trump’s pressure. Under these circumstances, Norway naturally fears retaliatory economic measures.
Ironically, it’s not the Nobel Committee but the Norwegian government that may be more troubled by Trump’s fury. The committee earns the glory for standing up to Trump, but the government bears the consequences. And crucially, the government must publicly defend the committee’s “independence.” This makes Norway’s political headache even worse than Trump’s. This also reveals how the Nobel Committee and the peace prize have become tools of political correctness in the West, imposing moral pressure on Western politicians.
It is well known that the Nobel Peace Prize selection process is far from objective or neutral. It has long been influenced by Western ideological biases and reflects clear geopolitical leanings. Looking back at history, Obama received the prize less than a year after taking office, a decision widely interpreted as Europe’s expression of hope for America’s return to multilateralism rather than recognition of concrete achievements. That decision triggered enormous controversy and damaged the prize’s credibility.
It is precisely this that fuels Trump’s obsession. He believes he achieved more diplomatic breakthroughs than Obama. If Obama could win, why not he?
Trump’s fixation also exposes the awkward reality of the Nobel Peace Prize: The award is more likely to go to liberal “white left” establishment figures than to far-right unilateralists like Trump. In that sense, the prize is indeed “unfair,” upholding Western political correctness and liberalism as its guiding principles. Trump’s relentless pursuit of the award only highlights the internal contradictions of the liberal international order itself.
Beyond Western Ideology
Ironically, Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times — 2018, 2019 and 2020 — by Norwegian parliamentarians for reasons including his push for U.S.–North Korea summits. But those nominations came from individual politicians and were often symbolic or even satirical. A nomination does not mean actual competitiveness or support from the committee.
As mentioned, Trump’s obsession collided with the Nobel Committee’s ideological rigidity. This clash perfectly reflects the conflict between far-right conservatism and liberal “white left” politics in the West. The former is brutish; the latter, hypocritical. Together, they paint an awkward picture of Western politics that has become a global punchline.
Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize was never about genuine commitment to global morality or real contributions to peace. It was a self-centered political spectacle. His so-called “peace achievements” have been grossly exaggerated, and his behavior runs counter to any genuine peace-building efforts. Even if he were to win, it would not legitimize him but instead highlight the prize’s own credibility crisis.
The Nobel Committee’s defiance may appear to demonstrate fairness, impartiality and independence, but in reality, it is also a political confrontation between liberalism and conservatism in the West.
In short, the Nobel Peace Prize should not serve as a crown for the vanity of political strongmen nor should it remain bound to Western ideological frameworks. It should be a clear mirror reflecting the efforts of those who truly strive for world peace.
This means Trump’s long-cherished wish for the Nobel Peace Prize has once again fallen through. Before the announcement, Trump repeatedly emphasized that if he didn’t win the prize for supposedly “solving seven wars,” it would be “an insult to America.”
Facing Trump’s obsessive pursuit of the award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stood firm, declaring before the announcement that they would not be influenced by Trump. The result was, in effect, a public slap in Trump’s face. Interestingly, after failing to win the prize, Trump did not immediately react. Instead, a White House spokesman posted on social media: "President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives." He also said, “The Nobel Committee has proven that they prioritize politics over peace.”
Trump, having been publicly humiliated, may look for ways to retaliate. His obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize stems, first of all, from his showboating personality, or more accurately, his deep-rooted self-centeredness, which makes it hard for him to tolerate what he sees as the committee’s “disrespect.” Second, Trump’s particular arrogance and constant need to compare himself to Democratic presidents are at play. He has already defeated Joe Biden politically, but former President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, which has always been a thorn in Trump’s side. Winning the prize would have allowed him to surpass Obama. In addition, Trump has repeatedly emphasized his peace achievements, claiming to have “resolved seven wars in just a few months.”
He would have seen the Nobel Peace Prize as global recognition of his diplomatic accomplishments and as a validation of the legitimacy of his presidency. Being passed over for the prize has naturally left him bitter.
Norway on High Alert
If Trump retaliates, the Nobel Committee will likely stand its ground. In fact, Trump’s retaliation could even enhance the committee’s “independence” and add a kind of moral luster to this often controversial prize. Faced with a stubborn committee and a detached winner, Trump now finds himself in an awkward situation in which he can neither lash out effectively nor remain silent without looking weak.
However, the Norwegian government is far more anxious than the committee. Officials worry that a humiliated Trump might impose tariffs on Norway, demand increased defense spending, or even label Norway an “enemy state.” These fears are not unfounded. In his second term, Trump has treated international relations as naked transactional bargaining. If something doesn’t fit his “art of the deal,” he resorts to heavy-handed pressure. For example, imposing tariffs, extorting NATO allies for security contributions, making territorial claims on Greenland, and even hinting at “annexing” Canada. From Denmark to the EU, from Canada to Japan and South Korea, many have yielded to Trump’s pressure. Under these circumstances, Norway naturally fears retaliatory economic measures.
Ironically, it’s not the Nobel Committee but the Norwegian government that may be more troubled by Trump’s fury. The committee earns the glory for standing up to Trump, but the government bears the consequences. And crucially, the government must publicly defend the committee’s “independence.” This makes Norway’s political headache even worse than Trump’s. This also reveals how the Nobel Committee and the peace prize have become tools of political correctness in the West, imposing moral pressure on Western politicians.
It is well known that the Nobel Peace Prize selection process is far from objective or neutral. It has long been influenced by Western ideological biases and reflects clear geopolitical leanings. Looking back at history, Obama received the prize less than a year after taking office, a decision widely interpreted as Europe’s expression of hope for America’s return to multilateralism rather than recognition of concrete achievements. That decision triggered enormous controversy and damaged the prize’s credibility.
It is precisely this that fuels Trump’s obsession. He believes he achieved more diplomatic breakthroughs than Obama. If Obama could win, why not he?
Trump’s fixation also exposes the awkward reality of the Nobel Peace Prize: The award is more likely to go to liberal “white left” establishment figures than to far-right unilateralists like Trump. In that sense, the prize is indeed “unfair,” upholding Western political correctness and liberalism as its guiding principles. Trump’s relentless pursuit of the award only highlights the internal contradictions of the liberal international order itself.
Beyond Western Ideology
Ironically, Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times — 2018, 2019 and 2020 — by Norwegian parliamentarians for reasons including his push for U.S.–North Korea summits. But those nominations came from individual politicians and were often symbolic or even satirical. A nomination does not mean actual competitiveness or support from the committee.
As mentioned, Trump’s obsession collided with the Nobel Committee’s ideological rigidity. This clash perfectly reflects the conflict between far-right conservatism and liberal “white left” politics in the West. The former is brutish; the latter, hypocritical. Together, they paint an awkward picture of Western politics that has become a global punchline.
Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize was never about genuine commitment to global morality or real contributions to peace. It was a self-centered political spectacle. His so-called “peace achievements” have been grossly exaggerated, and his behavior runs counter to any genuine peace-building efforts. Even if he were to win, it would not legitimize him but instead highlight the prize’s own credibility crisis.
The Nobel Committee’s defiance may appear to demonstrate fairness, impartiality and independence, but in reality, it is also a political confrontation between liberalism and conservatism in the West.
In short, the Nobel Peace Prize should not serve as a crown for the vanity of political strongmen nor should it remain bound to Western ideological frameworks. It should be a clear mirror reflecting the efforts of those who truly strive for world peace.
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