US President Donald Trump is scheduled to make an announcement from the Oval Office at 5 pm EDT, which is around 2:30 am IST on Saturday, according to the White House press guidance, sparking speculation about the subject and timing.
The development comes just hours after the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, passing over Trump despite a wave of lobbying from Republicans and allied leaders abroad.
Machado, in her acceptance remarks, in a post on X, said she wanted to dedicate the win to Trump and “the people of her country,” praising him for his support in her campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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However, the White House has reacted sharply to Nobel Committee’s decision of not giving the peace honour to the US president.
‘Politics over peace’
In a post on X, Communications director Steven Cheung claimed members of “the Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace” by failing to recognise Trump, especially after his administration helped broker a Gaza ceasefire this week.
Trump himself reposted Machado’s praise on social media.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump had cast doubt on the fairness of the Nobel process. “They’ll have to do what they do. Whatever they do is fine. I know this: I didn’t do it for that. I did it because I saved a lot of lives,” he said.
Trump’s long pursuit of the prize
The Republican president has openly coveted the award for years, frequently contrasting his record with that of former President Barack Obama, who won the prize in 2009. “They gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country,” Trump remarked Thursday.
Although he received multiple nominations this year, some came after the February 1 deadline, including one from Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), who highlighted Trump’s role in the Abraham Accords of 2020. The Nobel Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes, however, emphasized the body’s independence: “We base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
Eyes on the Oval Office
Friday’s 5 pm announcement is being closely watched in the wake of the day’s events. While the White House has not disclosed details, aides suggested it could cover foreign policy developments following the Gaza ceasefire or broader reflections on Trump’s role in global peace efforts.
Three sitting US presidents have previously won the Nobel Peace Prize –Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Obama. Trump’s Oval Office remarks will likely signal how he intends to position himself in that historical context.
