WASHINGTON/OSLO — The White House reacted angrily Friday after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, dashing U.S. President Donald Trump’s hopes of receiving the coveted honor in his second term.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a sharp statement accusing the Nobel Committee of “placing politics over peace,” after months of lobbying by Trump and his allies for him to receive the award.
“Once again, the Nobel Committee has proved they place politics over peace,” Cheung said. “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.”
Trump himself has not yet commented, but a social media tirade is widely expected.
Machado’s Nobel Win
In Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that María Corina Machado, a 58-year-old pro-democracy leader who has spent months in hiding from the Venezuelan government, was this year’s laureate. She was praised as a “key, unifying figure” resisting authoritarianism in Venezuela.
“Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country — a choice that has inspired millions. When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” said Nobel Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes.
Machado, who had been disqualified by President Nicolás Maduro’s government from running in the country’s election, has continued to rally opposition forces from within Venezuela.
Trump’s Nobel Campaign and ‘Peace’ Claims
Trump had openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming his administration was the driving force behind global peace efforts. He cited his alleged role in brokering talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, facilitating the Gaza ceasefire, and resolving tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor earlier this year.
However, none of those conflicts have been fully resolved. Russia has continued its offensive despite Trump’s declarations, and while a ceasefire in Gaza began this week under a U.S.-brokered plan, major questions remain over Hamas disarmament and governance.
Trump’s claim that he settled the India–Pakistan conflict has been strongly denied by New Delhi, which said hostilities ceased only after Pakistan’s direct request, without U.S. involvement.
Nobel Committee Stands by Its Choice
Asked about Trump’s campaign, Frydnes said the committee based its decision on the “courage and integrity” exemplified by laureates through history.
“I think this committee has seen every type of campaign and media attention,” he said, hinting at the Trump lobbying efforts without naming him directly.
Machado’s selection follows last year’s award to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors. The Nobel Peace Prize is the only Nobel awarded in Oslo, with the others presented in Stockholm.
Trump, who has often compared himself to historic Nobel winners, previously suggested that failing to award him the prize would be a “travesty.” Friday’s decision now sets the stage for a likely public confrontation between the Trump administration and the Nobel Committee.