Trump Pursues Nobel Prize After Pillay Wins Award in Norway

President Donald Trump criticized the Nobel Peace Prize decision after South African human rights pioneer Navi Pillay received the 2026 award, while Elisha Wiesel, chairman of The Elie Wiesel Foundation, argued the committee damaged the legacy of his father Elie Wiesel and the prize.

According to CNN, Trump said at a rally in Syracuse, New York, that he believed the United States should have received the award and criticized the committee's choice. He also posted online attacking Pillay and claimed credit for resolving conflicts.

Trump said, "The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t," at the rally, according to CNN.

The president also described the decision as an "indelible stain on the country of Norway" and said he had never heard of Pillay. CNN reported that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian government.

In another online statement, Trump claimed he had "saved more lives than anyone in History." CNN reported that Trump has repeatedly argued he deserved the prize based on claims about ending multiple wars.

Pillay addressed Trump's criticism during her Nobel appearance after receiving the award. She joked about sharing the honor with the US president as the audience applauded.

"If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump," Pillay said.

Elisha Wiesel, writing for The Free Press, focused on his father's 1986 Nobel Peace Prize and criticized the committee's decision to honor Pillay. He said the award conflicted with the meaning he associated with Elie Wiesel's recognition.

Wiesel recalled his father's Nobel acceptance speech, where Elie Wiesel spoke about moral responsibility after the Holocaust.

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim," Elie Wiesel said in his 1986 acceptance speech.

Elisha Wiesel also referenced Pillay's work with a United Nations commission of inquiry and criticized her past statements about Israel. He cited her signing of a 2020 manifesto that called on governments to "Sanction Apartheid Israel."

Wiesel wrote that the committee's choice represented a broader disagreement over how the Nobel Peace Prize should evaluate recipients. His article also discussed earlier controversies involving awards given to Israeli and Palestinian figures.

Trump later referenced his view of international conflicts during remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, according to CNN.

"To the victor belong the spoils," Trump said, according to CNN.

He continued discussing the outcome of military actions and said, "We’re taking out for ourselves — we deserve it," according to CNN.

The debate over the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize followed years of public discussion about Trump's attempts to receive the award and the committee's selection of Pillay.