Hours after the Nobel Committee named Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the White House wasted no time slamming the decision, saying it “placed politics over peace.”
The White House slammed the committee’s move of not giving the prestigious honour to US President Donald Trump, who has long argued he deserves the honour for “ending eight wars.”
‘Politics over peace’
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” White House spokesperson Steven Cheung wrote on X.
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President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives.
He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.
The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace. https://t.co/dwCEWjE0GE
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) October 10, 2025
He added that the Nobel Committee had “placed politics over peace.”
The statement also came on the heels of Trump lashing out at his predecessor, Barack Obama, claiming he received the Peace Prize for “doing nothing” and for “destroying our country.” Trump, who highlighted his role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire and other peace agreements, said he was not motivated by awards but expressed frustration that Obama was honoured just months into his presidency.
Also Read: Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado wins as Trump’s quest falls short
US president yet to make comment
However, White House did not comment on the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Venezuela’s opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado. Machado, a vocal critic of President Nicolás Maduro, aligns with the Trump administration’s stance on Venezuela, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio praising her as “the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited her as one of the “courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist” authoritarian rule.
Meanwhile, Trump, who has long campaigned for the prize, has yet to comment on the committee’s decision. This week, he celebrated a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza by posting three videos on his Truth Social account showing supporters rejoicing over the agreement.
Trump claims he has ended eight wars since taking office and insists he deserves the Nobel, though he recently acknowledged that being passed over was expected.
“Will you get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not. They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing,” Trump told top US military leaders last month, adding that missing out on the award would be a “big insult” to the United States.
Also Read: Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Trump hopes to win… A quick take on what history tells us
Why did Trump’s chances remain low?
The rules for the Nobel Prize require nominations to be submitted before January 31 to be valid for that year. Trump returned to the White House for his second term on January 20. While he received nominations for this year’s prize, many came after the February 1 deadline. One valid nomination, submitted in December by Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York, highlighted Trump’s role in brokering the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states in 2020.
Despite this, Trump and his supporters are likely to see being passed over as a deliberate snub, especially given his involvement in securing the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire that ended a two-year-long conflict between Israel and Hamas.
