Former U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken out for the first time since the announcement of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, claiming that the winner personally told him he “deserved” the prestigious honor.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader widely recognized for her role in challenging Nicolás Maduro’s regime and advocating for democratic reform in her country.
Machado, 58, is celebrated as a unifying figure who helped mobilize a divided opposition and led what many international observers believe was a legitimate victory in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election—an outcome the Maduro government later refused to accept.
Trump, who has long expressed his ambition to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, appeared visibly animated while discussing the award during a recent interview at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
“The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today,” Trump said. “She called me and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it.’ That was a really nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though,” he added with a smile.
The former president suggested that his political status during the 2024 election may have influenced the Nobel Committee’s decision.
“It was given after ’24, and I was running for office then,” Trump remarked. “There are people who say we did so much that they should have given it to us.”
Trump went on to highlight his diplomatic achievements, referencing his administration’s involvement in Middle East peace efforts and his claims of having prevented multiple global conflicts.
“I’m happy because I saved millions of lives,” he said, apparently referring to peace negotiations involving Israel, Hamas, and several Arab nations during his presidency.
The White House, responding to Trump’s comments, reiterated its previous stance that the Nobel Committee “placed politics over peace” by overlooking Trump’s record in favor of other figures. The statement emphasized that Trump’s administration “achieved historic agreements and strengthened peace in regions where others failed.”
While Trump’s remarks drew both praise and criticism online, the Nobel Committee stood firm in its decision. Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes praised Machado for her courage and leadership amid Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis.
“María Corina Machado receives the Nobel Peace Prize for her endeavor to attain a fair and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” Frydnes said in Oslo. “She has become a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided, in a nation suffering severe repression and economic collapse.”
Machado, in turn, expressed gratitude to her supporters and acknowledged Trump’s vocal backing of Venezuela’s democratic movement.
“We are on the verge of victory, and today more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, and the democratic nations of the world as our allies to achieve freedom,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela—and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.”
Trump’s renewed remarks have reignited debate about his global legacy. His supporters argue that his administration’s foreign policy achievements—particularly the Abraham Accords, North Korea diplomacy, and his emphasis on avoiding prolonged wars—should have earned him the Nobel long ago. Critics, however, view his comments as another example of his self-congratulatory style.
Despite missing out once again, Trump remains undeterred, hinting that recognition may still come in the future.
“Maybe one day,” he said confidently. “A lot of people know what we accomplished. Whether they give it or not, history will remember it.”
As global reactions continue to pour in, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize conversation has once again placed Trump at the center of international attention—something he seems to relish as much as the award itself.