Ever since coming back to the office in January, Donald Trump has been lobbying to get the Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly claiming that he stopped eight wars.
US President Donald Trump did not win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize despite public backing from some political quarters. The award instead went to Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado.
Ever since coming back to the office in January, Trump has been lobbying to get the Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly claiming that he stopped eight wars. His candidature got a boost, at least in the eyes of his supporters, after he announced the peace deal between Israel and Hamas, thus likely ending the two-year-long Gaza conflict. He has also claimed credit for stopping the conflict between India and Pakistan that erupted back in May, which New Delhi has repeatedly denied.
But despite all that, the Republican leader didn’t make the cut this year. Here is why:
Why was Donald Trump not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2025?
Donald Trump did not win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize mainly because all the nominations made in his name came after the cutoff date. The nominations for consideration for this year’s award were to be made before February 1.
When asked about the snub to Trump despite his claims and support from some countries, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, said that the decision is based “only on the work and will of Alfred Nobel”.
“In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, I think this committee has seen any type of campaigns, media attention. We receive 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. So, we base our decision only on the work and will of Alfred Nobel,” Frydnes said in a press conference after the announcement.
Nobel veterans say the committee prioritises sustained, multilateral efforts over quick diplomatic wins. Theo Zenou, a historian and research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said that Trump’s efforts have not yet been proven to be long-lasting.
“There’s a huge difference between getting fighting to stop in the short term and resolving the root causes of the conflict,” Zenou told Reuters.
Zenou also highlighted Trump’s dismissive stance on climate change as out of step with what many, including the Nobel committee, see as the planet’s greatest long-term peace challenge.
“I don’t think they would award the most prestigious prize in the world to someone who does not believe in climate change. When you look at previous winners who have been bridge-builders, embodied international cooperation and reconciliation: These are not words we associate with Donald Trump,” Zenou said.
Also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pakistan’s government made nominations supporting Trump for the 2025 award after the February 1 deadline.
