Nobel Panel Stands Firm: Trump’s Push for Peace Prize ‘Won’t Influence Us’

Former U.S. president Donald Trump’s quest for the Nobel Peace Prize may face a major obstacle — the independence of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which insists it cannot be swayed by pressure or publicity.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly declared that he “deserves” the award, often citing his claim of having ended six wars, even as conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine continue. The 79-year-old billionaire has also pointed to backing from leaders such as Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev.

But speaking to AFP in Oslo, committee secretary Kristian Berg Harpviken stressed that external campaigns have no bearing on their deliberations.

“Of course, we do notice that there is a lot of media attention towards particular candidates,” he said.
“But that really has no impact on the discussions that are going on in the committee. The committee considers each individual nominee on his or her own merits.”

This year’s Peace Prize winner will be announced on October 10.

Nominations and Secrecy

For Trump’s name to be valid, supporters would have had to act quickly — the nomination deadline was January 31, just 11 days after he assumed office again.

“To be nominated is not necessarily a great achievement. The great achievement is to become a laureate,” Berg Harpviken explained, noting that thousands of individuals worldwide — from lawmakers to professors — are eligible to nominate candidates.

This year, the committee is reviewing 338 nominations, a list that will remain classified for 50 years. Only a select shortlist is evaluated in depth by experts.

“When the committee discusses, it’s that knowledge base that frames the discussion. It’s not whatever media report has received the most attention in the last 24 hours,” Harpviken added.

Phone Call and Political Pressure

Norwegian media reported that Trump raised the subject of the Peace Prize during a July phone call with Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, a former NATO chief, though the ministry declined to confirm details.

The Nobel Committee, however, has a history of resisting political influence. In 2010, it awarded the Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo despite quiet warnings from the Norwegian government, sparking years of diplomatic tensions with Beijing.

“The Nobel Committee acts entirely independently and cannot allow itself to take those considerations into account when it discusses individual candidates,” Harpviken said.

Analysts Skeptical of Trump’s Chances

Experts in Norway argue that Trump’s campaign could actually harm his case.

“This type of pressure usually turns out to be counter-productive,” said Halvard Leira, research director at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).
“If the committee were to give the prize to Trump now, it would obviously be accused of kowtowing.”

In August, three Nobel historians also published an op-ed strongly opposing Trump’s candidacy, citing his admiration for Russian president Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“The members of the Nobel Committee would have to have lost their minds,” they wrote.