Highlights:
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Trump claimed to have ended eight wars but faced scrutiny over accuracy.
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Venezuela’s Maria Kurina Machado won for promoting democracy and peaceful transitions.
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Supporters included Netanyahu, Pakistan’s military chief, and Cambodian PM Hun Manet.
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Factors against Trump: timing, sustainability, controversial policies, and admiration for dictators.
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Future chances remain if Trump’s peace efforts lead to lasting, verifiable outcomes.
US President Donald Trump has long insisted he deserved the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his efforts in ending seven wars and potentially an eighth if his Gaza peace plan succeeds. Trump, who has publicly demanded the prize multiple times this year, highlighted his interventions in conflicts involving Israel, Iran, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Armenia-Azerbaijan, Thailand-Cambodia, India-Pakistan, Egypt-Ethiopia, Serbia-Kosovo, and Gabon. However, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Venezuela’s Maria Kurina Machado, recognizing her work in promoting democracy and a peaceful transition from dictatorship.
Trump’s predecessors — Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt — all won the award while in office (except Carter), showing the precedent he hoped to follow. Yet, experts argue that Trump’s repeated public demands, often perceived as political posturing, weakened his case. His claims, particularly regarding India-Pakistan, were contested and in some cases fact-checked as inaccurate.
Several prominent figures supported Trump’s nomination, including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir, and Cambodian PM Hun Manet. Yet, nominations from Netanyahu and Pakistan came after the Nobel deadline of February 1, 2025, making them ineligible. Trump has been nominated multiple times since 2018, including for brokering the Abraham Accords, but this year, the committee prioritized other candidates and initiatives.
Key factors working against Trump included the timing of the Gaza ceasefire deal, which occurred after the committee’s decision, and doubts over the long-term impact of his peace initiatives. Critics also cited his withdrawal from the WHO and Paris Climate Accords, trade conflicts with allies, and admiration of authoritarian leaders as contrary to Nobel’s vision of sustainable, multilateral peace, disarmament, and international cooperation. Experts note that the Norwegian Nobel Committee traditionally values quiet, durable work in promoting global peace.
While Trump missed out this year, analysts suggest he may still have a chance in the future if his diplomatic initiatives yield lasting results. The Nobel Peace Prize remains unique among the annual awards, being presented in Oslo, while other Nobel prizes are awarded in Stockholm.
