Norwegian Nobel Committee under pressure as Trump promotes himself for prize

Norway is preparing for the fallout from the October 10 announcement of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize amid mounting pressure from former President Donald Trump and his administration to award him the accolade.

According to Bloomberg, Trump has aggressively promoted himself as deserving of the prize, making public statements and reaching out to Norwegian officials, particularly after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the prospect of a Middle East peace deal. 

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has indicated that such external pressures are unlikely to influence its decision.

On Thursday night, Trump’s son Eric called on his followers on X to “retweet if you believe @realDonaldTrump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.” At the same time, the White House account posted a photo of Trump with the caption “The Peace President.”

Later that day, Trump met with Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb in the Oval Office and again emphasised his record in international peacemaking. “I don’t know what they’re going to do, really, but I know this: that nobody in history has solved eight wars in a period of nine months, and I’ve stopped eight wars,” Trump said. “I did it because I saved a lot of lives, not for a prize.” Stubb acknowledged that the Nobel Committee alone decides the award but praised Trump’s accomplishments, calling his recent track record “rather impressive.”

Trump’s public campaign has placed Oslo under intense scrutiny, with concerns about potential diplomatic and economic consequences should the independent five-member committee choose not to award him. Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the committee’s head, told Norwegian media that this year’s decision was finalised on October 6. He also indicated that any Middle East peace deal would likely be considered for next year’s prize. Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated that the government does not interfere in Nobel decisions.

Despite the uncertainty, Trump is currently the favourite according to Oddschecker, followed by Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, a volunteer aid network, and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Betting odds have historically been unreliable predictors of the winner.

Nominations for the 2025 prize closed on January 31, shortly after Trump returned to the White House. The early awarding of the prize to Barack Obama in 2009, just months into his presidency, remains a point of frustration for Trump. He told reporters Thursday, “Obama got the prize, he didn’t even know what he got… they gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country.”

The situation comes as Norway negotiates a trade deal with the United States, aiming to reduce a 15% tariff on Norwegian exports. Trade Minister Cecilie Myrseth is currently in Washington for discussions. Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, also raises concerns, with roughly 40% of its assets invested in the U.S., leading to fears that Trump could target it.

By Tamilla Hasanova