Nobel Peace Prize committee explains why Donald Trump didn’t win in 2025
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado honored for her fight for democracy as White House criticizes decision
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has explained why President Donald Trump was not chosen for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, which was officially awarded on October 10, 2025, to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
On October 10, 2025, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that María Corina Machado, a prominent critic of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, had been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.”
In its official statement, the committee wrote:
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to María Corina Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Machado, 57, an industrial engineer and longtime opposition leader, has been banned from running for public office and repeatedly threatened by the Maduro government. Despite that, she continues to advocate for democratic reform and free elections in Venezuela.
The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony will take place on December 10, 2025, in Oslo, Norway, as is tradition.
Trump’s reaction and repeated claims
President Donald Trump has long asserted that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. During a February meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said:
“They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me.”
In August, Trump again suggested he merited recognition, claiming credit for ending several international conflicts. “I’ve done six wars, I’ve ended six wars,” he said at a summit with European and Ukrainian leaders.
Most recently, he helped broker a ceasefire and peace plan between Israel and Hamas, calling it “a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, and the United States.”
Why Trump didn’t win
Nobel Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes addressed growing speculation about Trump’s omission, emphasizing that the committee’s decision is rooted solely in the vision of the prize’s founder.
“We base our decision only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel,” Frydnes said, adding that political pressure has no influence on the process.
The committee elaborated in a public statement:
“Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. However, we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and silencing critics. María Corina Machado has spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people.”
White House criticism
Following the announcement, the White House issued a statement criticizing the decision, arguing that Trump’s foreign policy achievements, including peace initiatives in the Middle East, warranted consideration.
A spokesperson accused the Nobel Committee of “political bias,” though Trump himself has not yet commented publicly.
A symbolic choice in a turbulent year
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize comes amid global concerns over democratic decline. The committee noted that while 2024 saw a record number of elections worldwide, fewer were considered free or fair.
By honoring Machado, the Nobel Committee said it hoped to draw attention to “the courage of those who fight for freedom under oppressive regimes.”
Whether Trump’s supporters agree with that reasoning remains to be seen, but for now, the Peace Prize belongs to a woman who risked her life to defend democracy.
