On 9 October, at a rally in Syracuse, New York, US President Donald Trump sharply criticised Norway after the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Navanethem «Navi» Pilley as the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. His assessments of the decision and the laureate are political statements by Trump.
Briefly about the main points
- Trump criticised the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay.
- He described this decision as an «indelible stain» on Norway’s reputation.
- The prize is awarded by the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee, not by the country’s government.
- Trump also claimed to have made diplomatic achievements, without providing any evidence.
What Trump said at the rally
Speaking at Oncenter in Syracuse, Trump called Pilley «a »mysterious figure« and claimed that »nobody had ever heard of her« before. He also described the awarding of the prize as an »indelible stain« on Norway’s reputation and said: »We will not forget you, Norway.’.
Trump stated that The Nobel Peace Prize allegedly discredited for good by «radical ideologues», whom he described as enemies of civilisation. This is his assessment of the committee’s decision.
Who actually decides the winner?
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which consists of five members appointed by the country’s parliament — the Storting. The Committee operates independently of the Norwegian Government.
Chair of the Committee Jørgen Vatne Früdnes emphasised this independence. Therefore, the decision regarding the laureate is not a decision taken by the Norwegian Government, although Trump directed his criticism at the country as a whole.
Background on the laureate and diplomatic statements
Navi Pillay is a former judge of the International Criminal Court and a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In September 2025, the independent UN commission she chaired concluded that Israel was responsible for genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip; this is the commission’s conclusion, not a final court ruling.
At the rally, Trump also claimed credit for resolving or preventing conflicts involving North and South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan, without providing any evidence. Earlier, his administration’s talks with the leader of the DPRK Kim Jong-un between 2017 and 2021 did not result in an agreement on denuclearisation.
