White House Accuses Nobel Committee of ‘Politics Over Peace’ After Trump Misses Prize

The White House has sharply criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award this year’s Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado, accusing the body of prioritising politics over peace after U.S. President Donald Trump failed to secure the honour.
Machado was named the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate on Friday for what the committee described as 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.”
But Steven Cheung, the White House Director of Communications, said in a post on X that the decision reflected political bias.
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives,” Cheung wrote. “He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will. The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”
Nobel Committee Chairman Jørgen Frydnes dismissed suggestions of external influence, saying the panel’s decisions are guided solely by “the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
Trump, who had been the subject of several public nomination campaigns, previously accused the committee of bias. In a video posted Thursday, he criticised former President Barack Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize win, claiming Obama was honoured for “doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country.”
Meanwhile, global leaders congratulated Machado for her recognition.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said the award “reflects the clear aspirations of the people of Venezuela for free and fair elections, for civil and political rights, and for the rule of law.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, described the prize as a tribute to “every voice that refuses to be silenced,” while Johann Wadephul, Germany’s foreign minister, hailed Machado as “a voice for freedom worldwide.”
The 58-year-old activist, who remains in hiding, was visibly emotional upon receiving news of the award.
“I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve this,” she said. “It will take a while to believe this.”