Donald Trump Changes Tune on Nobel Peace Prize - Newsweek

President Donald Trump said during a phone interview with the Washington Examiner on Thursday that he is "not interested" in the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump told the outlet that he had “no idea” if Operation Epic Fury will “get him over the finish line” with Nobel Committee members.

“I don’t know,” he said, according to the outlet. "I’m not interested in it.”

When asked if the topic has been discussed during any recent conversations he has had with foreign leaders, Trump said: "No, I don’t talk about the Nobel Prize."

Operation Epic Fury began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iran, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump said the Iran war could be nearing an end and said that U.S. and Israeli forces have effectively dismantled Iran’s military capabilities.

"You know, you never want to say too early you won. We won. The first hour, it was over," Trump told supporters Wednesday night during a speech at a packaging plant in Hebron, Kentucky, before adding: "We don't want to leave early, do we? We've got to finish the job."

What Donald Trump Has Said About Nobel Peace Prize

Trump previously expressed interest in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, including sharing articles in support of awarding him the prize on Truth Social and referencing it in posts highlighting his achievements in office.

He posted on Truth Social in June of last year: "I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia (A massive Ethiopian built dam, stupidly financed by the United States of America, substantially reduces the water flowing into The Nile River), and I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing the Abraham Accords in the Middle East which, if all goes well, will be loaded to the brim with additional Countries signing on, and will unify the Middle East for the first time in “The Ages!” No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that’s all that matters to me!"

Trump also criticized the Norwegian government after he did not receive the prize in 2025. In a text message released in January, Trump told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that he no longer felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace."

The message read in part: "Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”

The Norwegian leader said in response: “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government.”

Who Has Nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize?

Trump received nominations for the prize awarded last year, but many occurred after the February 2025 deadline, which fell just a week and a half into his second term.

Several lawmakers nominated Trump, including Republican representatives Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Buddy Carter of Georgia and Darrell Issa of California. Leaders in multiple countries also nominated Trump or expressed support for his nomination.

*What Did Maria Corina Machado Do? *

The prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado last year. Earlier this year, Machado offered her peace prize to Trump and he accepted. But the Nobel Foundation has said one of its missions was "to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes" and clarified that they couldn't be given elsewhere, prompting backlash from the White House.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was honoring 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.”

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