Trump misses Nobel Peace Prize 2025 despite ‘ending 8 wars’ boast; What went wrong?

Despite claiming to have “ended eight wars” and expecting global recognition, Donald Trump was overlooked for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. What made the committee favor Venezuela’s María Corina Machado instead?

Norway: The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday announced Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her “courageous and peaceful struggle for democracy and human rights” in Venezuela. The announcement ended weeks of speculation surrounding former US President Donald Trump, who had publicly expressed confidence that his global peace initiatives would earn him the honor this year.

Trump’s ‘Ended Eight Wars’ Claim

Trump, currently in his second term as US President, has repeatedly claimed that he “ended eight wars” during his presidency. He cited peace efforts involving Israel-Iran, India-Pakistan, Cambodia-Thailand, South Korea-North Korea, Armenia-Azerbaijan, China-Taiwan, Russia-Ukraine, and a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel as his key achievements.

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Speaking at a rally in Texas last month, Trump said, “No one has done more for world peace than Donald Trump. I ended eight wars without starting a single one.” His campaign team even launched a digital campaign titled “Peace Through Strength – Trump 2025.”

Why the Committee Rejected His Bid

Despite the media attention and his bold claims, experts say Trump’s nomination was never seriously considered. According to Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the Peace Prize is guided strictly by Alfred Nobel’s will, honoring those who have made “the most or best work for fraternity among nations.”

Analysts pointed out that several of the “wars” Trump claimed to have ended were not active armed conflicts, and U.S. involvement in most of those peace efforts was limited or controversial. The Israel-Iran ceasefire, for instance, followed U.S. airstrikes on Iranian targets, which critics said undermined Trump’s “peace” credentials.

Moreover, his withdrawal from global bodies like the WHO and UN climate accords, and his hardline immigration and trade policies, were viewed as inconsistent with the principles of international cooperation and peace that the Nobel Committee values.

Public Opinion and Future Prospects

A Washington Post–Ipsos poll in late September showed that 76% of Americans believed Trump did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. Many respondents felt his confrontational foreign policy overshadowed any peace efforts.

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Still, Trump remains eligible for future nominations. Some reports suggest Pakistan’s government and a few U.S. lawmakers have already re-nominated him for 2026, citing his recent mediation in Gaza.

However, experts note that Trump would need a sustained, verifiable record of peacebuilding—especially in Ukraine or the Middle East—to stand a real chance. Until then, the Nobel Committee’s decision signals that political showmanship cannot substitute for enduring peace diplomacy.