US President Donald Trump says he is not interested in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, marking a clear change from months of comments in which he repeatedly argued that he deserved the honour.
In a phone interview with the Washington Examiner on Thursday, Trump brushed aside questions about whether US military action against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, could help his chances with the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
“I don’t know,” Trump said when asked if the operation would get him over the finish line for the prize. “I’m not interested in it.”
He repeated the same point when the interviewer pressed him further.
“I don’t know. I’m not interested in it,” Trump said. He also added that the Nobel Prize has not come up during recent calls with world leaders. “No, I don’t talk about the Nobel Prize,” he said.
The remarks are a noticeable shift in tone. Over the past several months, Trump has often spoken about the Nobel Prize and suggested he deserved the award for his role in global conflicts and diplomatic efforts.
In January, Trump said he believed no other leader deserved the prize more. “I can’t think of anybody in history that should get the Nobel prize more than me,” he said at the time. He also made similar remarks during the same period. “I should have gotten the Nobel Prize for each war, but I don’t say that,” Trump said. Trump has often said that his goal is saving lives, not winning awards, even as he raised the issue of the Nobel Prize.
The comments came as Trump defended Operation Epic Fury, a joint US and Israeli military campaign targeting Iran. The operation began on February 28 and resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has also earlier expressed frustration about not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. In posts on Truth Social last year, he said he likely would never receive the award despite claiming credit for helping stop or ease several international conflicts. “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,” Trump wrote at the time. “But the people know, and that’s all that matters to me.”
The Nobel Peace Prize last year went to Venezuelan opposition leader Mara Corina Machado. Machado later offered the medal to Trump, but the Nobel Foundation said the award cannot be transferred, citing rules meant to protect the prize’s integrity.
