Nobel Peace Prize head tries to justify not giving Trump award

Not Nobel enough?

The head of the Nobel Peace Prize tried to justify not giving the award to President Trump early Friday — subtly suggesting the commander in chief was not worthy of the illustrious award despite his historic breakthroughs seeking the end of the Israel-Hamas war.

Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes was asked about the clamor to give the prize to Trump, who had said it would be an insult to the US not to award it to him.

But instead of blaming the timing — the decision was made Monday, days before the peace deal was struck — Frydnes suggested that a last-minute switch wasn’t made because the US leader doesn’t live up to it.

“In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, I think this committee has seen many types of campaign, media attention,” Frydnes said, without naming Trump.

“We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what, for them, leads to peace.

“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 only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel,” he added.

While the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee made its decision on Monday, many of the president’s allies made a last-minute pitch to have Trump win the award after he brokered a peace deal between Israel and Hamas days later.

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu was among them, sharing an AI-image of Trump with an award around his neck on Thursday with the caption: “Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize – he deserves it!”

Trump had also garnered acclaim in his presidential second term for his efforts to bring peace between Russia and Ukraine and a number of other long-lasting global conflicts.

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado.