The head of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee defended the organization’s decision not to award the 2025 prize to former President Donald Trump, even after his successful effort to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as reported by The New York Post.
Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes addressed the controversy Friday, following widespread calls for Trump to receive the honor in recognition of his role in ending the conflict.
Frydnes, without naming Trump directly, appeared to suggest that the committee did not view the former U.S. president as meeting the Nobel standard for the award.
“In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, I think this committee has seen many types of campaign, media attention,” Frydnes said. “We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what, for them, leads to peace.”
“This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates and that room is filled with both courage and integrity,” he continued. “So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
The Nobel Committee had finalized its decision earlier in the week, days before the peace agreement between Israel and Hamas was announced. The 2025 prize ultimately went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her work challenging the Maduro regime.
Trump, who played a central role in brokering the ceasefire, said earlier in the week that it would be “an insult to the United States” if he were not recognized for his peace efforts.
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His supporters, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, publicly urged the Nobel Committee to reconsider.
Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image of Trump wearing the Nobel Peace Prize medal, writing, “Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize – he deserves it!”
Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize – he deserves it! pic.twitter.com/Hbuc7kmPt1
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 9, 2025
Allies of the former president pointed to Trump’s diplomatic track record, noting that he also received international recognition for his previous efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine and for fostering normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations during his first term.
Despite those efforts, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stood by its decision, maintaining that its selection process is guided strictly by Nobel’s original intent and not by global campaigns or political pressure.
The committee has faced similar calls in the past from supporters of world leaders credited with advancing peace agreements, though it has rarely altered a decision once finalized. Frydnes reiterated that the committee’s independence remains central to the prize’s legitimacy.
The announcement of Machado’s award comes as Trump continues to receive international attention for his foreign policy initiatives and renewed diplomatic involvement in the Middle East.
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