Trump renews Nobel Peace Prize claim before Friday's announcement in Oslo

Trump renews his claim

On Wednesday, 7 October, Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, one day before the 2026 laureate is announced in Oslo on Friday, 9 October. He has made the argument repeatedly since returning to the White House, and this year he put the number of wars he ended at eight.

Asked about the coming decision, Trump said:

I don't know what their decision is going to be.

He added that the committee has a reputation for not giving the prize to people like him, and that it would be a great discredit to them. Trump also said he was not clearing his Friday morning schedule to wait for a call from Oslo.

Eight wars and Iran

Trump's case rests on the number of conflicts he says he ended, and he repeated the count he has used since last year. He told reporters:

No president probably has settled any wars. I settled eight wars, and big ones.

He also said he had perhaps prevented the total destruction of the world because Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which he called a very good thing. That claim comes as war is simmering in Iran, a conflict Trump launched together with Israel in February. His list of eight includes the peace agreement between Hamas and Israel. Some conflicts he claims to have settled, including fighting in Gaza and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have continued, and others were ended largely by other countries.

Machado medal and other honours

María Corina Machado, the 2025 laureate, gave Trump her medal in January, weeks after Trump deposed Venezuela's former president Nicolás Maduro. The Nobel Institute has said the prize continues to belong only to Machado and cannot be transferred. Trump described the gift in his own words:

I felt very honored to receive it indirectly.

In December, FIFA awarded Trump a peace prize that it created especially for him. Trump also reposted a video in which Vladimir Putin praised his role in international peace processes. Putin said:

He is doing a lot to resolve issues that have persisted for years or decades.

Nominations and the Oslo announcement

The committee has received 287 nominations for this year's prize, and Trump is among the candidates. Benjamin Netanyahu and the government of Pakistan have nominated him, and Reuters reports that the leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan said they had nominated him too, although this could not be confirmed. Among the favourites are Pope Leo XIV, the International Criminal Court and the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories. Experts consulted by AFP consider Trump's chances of winning minimal, but say his shadow will hang over the announcement. Some Norwegians have called for pausing the award until 2029, arguing that giving it to a vengeful US president might hurt peace efforts more than help them. The winner is due to be named in Oslo on Friday, 9 October.