Trump attacks Nobel committee after Navi Pillay wins 2026 Peace Prize

US President Donald Trump renewed his complaint over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize on 9 October 2026, claiming he has settled eight wars and secured the return of Israeli hostages. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump listed what he described as his achievements in international diplomacy, arguing that he or the United States should have received the honour instead of Navi Pillay, who was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.foreignpolicy.com

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Pillay, a South African-born jurist, on 9 October 2026. The committee said recognition of her work serves to remind the world that the rule of law underpins the system set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently. The committee added that her independence, expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time, and stated: Peace requires justice.

Why the committee chose Pillay

Pillay, 85, began her career as a lawyer focused on segregation and exclusion, and helped defend then-imprisoned anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. She served as a judge on South Africa's High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court, and held the role of UN high commissioner for human rights. Today she sits as a judge on the International Court of Justice in a case accusing Myanmar of genocide.

Last year, Pillay led a team of independent experts to determine whether Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. The team concluded that it is clear there is an intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza through acts that meet the criteria set forth in the Genocide Convention. The commission also found that responsibility for the atrocity crimes lies with Israeli authorities at the highest echelons. Israel refused to cooperate with the investigation and denounced its results.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday that the Nobel Committee shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned the once great Nobel Peace Prize by giving it to Pillay, pointing to what he described as her phony investigation into Israel and arguing that no one deserved the prize more than himself. He added: She has no credibility in any normal sphere and has never done a thing to foster peace.egyptindependent.com

Trump's claims and their disputes

Trump claimed he settled eight wars, is close to ending or settling two more, and got all of the Israeli hostages back, including the final 28, both living and dead. He also claimed to have won a war in Venezuela, captured its violent dictator and prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, India has consistently rejected his claims of mediation in the India-Pakistan ceasefire, maintaining that the understanding was reached after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations contacted his Indian counterpart.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A Washington Post poll last year found just 22% of Americans and 49% of Republicans said Trump deserved the prize. Trump also criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee for selecting Pillay, questioning her credentials and accusing her of being opposed to Israel. He described the decision as an indelible stain on Norway and said the prize had been forever discredited. At a rally in Syracuse, New York, he said the United States of America, represented by him as president, should have received the prize.

US sanctions on the ICC

The United States imposed new sanctions on the International Criminal Court on 9 October 2026 for what the Trump administration says is its bias against the United States and Israel, neither of which are members of the court. The sanctions followed Washington pulling out of the UN Human Rights Council in response to Pillay's genocide investigation, which was commissioned by that council.

Pillay, who learned of her award while attending a forum in the German city of Nuremberg, responded to attacks on her credibility. She said efforts to weaken international criminal justice endanger the progress painstakingly made since Nuremberg, and they risk returning us to a world in which power, rather than law, determines whose suffering matters. She also joked to an applauding crowd: If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump.

Trump's post on Truth Social came shortly before midnight, in a nearly 600-word post continuing to attack Pillay while claiming he has settled eight wars and saved more lives than anyone in history. He also said at the rally that he had never heard of this year's winner. The prize is not awarded by the Norwegian government but by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Pillay's response in Nuremberg

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on 9 October 2026 at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice in Germany. Trump's complaint over the prize came the same day, in a Truth Social post on Friday. The next step in the dispute is unclear, with the United States maintaining sanctions on the International Criminal Court and Trump continuing to claim credit for ending conflicts.