Nobel Prize Committee Defends Selection Process Amid White House Criticism Over 2025 Peace Prize Decision

Maria Corina Machado and Donald Trump.

The Norwegian Committee has issued a response to US President Donald Trump's campaign for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, asserting that their decisions remain immune to political influence.

Following the announcement of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as the Peace Prize recipient, committee chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes emphasized that their selection process is guided "only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel".

Frydnes noted that such campaigns attempting to sway their decision are not uncommon. "We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year from people wanting to say what, for them, leads to peace," he explained.

He stressed that the prestigious honor is reserved exclusively for individuals who have demonstrated genuine peace-building efforts.

The chairman described how the five-member committee conducts its deliberations in a special chamber adorned with portraits of previous Peace Prize laureates. These surroundings, he explained, serve as a reminder of the courage and integrity demonstrated by past recipients.

"This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity. So we base our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel," Frydnes stated.

In the wake of Machado's selection, the White House accused the Nobel Committee of "placing politics over peace."

White House spokesperson Steven Cheung posted on X: "Once again, the Nobel Committee has proved they place 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," the statement continued.

President Trump addressed the situation by claiming that Machado had contacted him and indicated she was accepting the award in his honor, believing he was more deserving. "I didn't say, then give it to me. I think she might have. She was very nice," he remarked.

Trump further suggested that Nobel Prizes typically recognize achievements from the preceding year, implying that the 2025 award reflected work done in 2024, which explained why he wasn't selected.

"You could also say it was given out for 2024, and I was running for office in 2024," he commented.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his belief that he deserves the Nobel Prize, citing his claim of having ended seven wars during his presidency.

"They said they were unendable, some were going for 31 years, one was 36 years. I ended seven wars, and in all cases they were raging with countless thousands of people being killed," he stated.