US President Donald Trump has insisted that he deserves the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize but admitted he is uncertain whether the Norwegian Nobel Committee will select him as this year’s winner.
Trump made the remarks on Wednesday, October 7, ahead of the announcement scheduled for Friday, as he defended his record of diplomatic efforts despite ongoing conflicts involving the United States and other countries.
“I don’t know what their decision is going to be,” Trump said of the award. “They have a reputation for maybe not giving it to people like me.”
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly argued that his involvement in international conflicts makes him deserving of the prestigious award.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he suggested that recognition was overdue.
“It is about that time,” Trump said.
He also recalled receiving indirect recognition from last year’s laureate, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who handed him her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal in January while seeking US support for her political efforts in Venezuela.
Trump said Machado had declared that nobody in history deserved the prize more than him.
Trump Cites Diplomatic Efforts in Multiple Conflicts
The US president argued that his involvement in efforts to resolve eight conflicts since taking office strengthened his case for the award.
The leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they nominated Trump, although those claims cannot be independently verified.
However, his role in several international disputes remains contested. Parties involved in conflicts that Trump has claimed to resolve have challenged his account of his diplomatic achievements, while fighting has resumed in some areas, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
Ukraine War and Iran Conflict Complicate His Claims
Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine have yet to produce a lasting settlement, despite his campaign promise to end the conflict on his first day back in office.
Meanwhile, US-Israeli strikes on Iran have contributed to a prolonged conflict that has disrupted global energy supplies and pushed up gasoline prices ahead of the November midterm elections.
These developments have drawn attention to the gap between Trump’s claims of diplomatic success and the continuing instability in several regions.
Other Contenders for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Trump is among the figures discussed ahead of Friday’s announcement, but other potential recipients include Pope Leo XIV, the International Criminal Court and the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is expected to reveal its decision on Friday, with the outcome set to determine whether Trump receives the international recognition he has repeatedly sought.
