Trump reacts to Nobel Peace Prize snub; says Machado accepted award 'in his honour'

US President Donald Trump on Friday (October 10) reacted to not receiving this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, claiming that he had extended assistance to the awardee, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, on several occasions.

Trump said that Machado had called him to say she was accepting the award "in honour" of him.

Also Read: No Nobel for Trump: US House slams Nobel Committee, says it placed 'politics over peace'

Trump responds to Nobel Peace Prize rejection

"The person who got the Nobel Prize called me today and said, 'I'm accepting this in honour of you because you really deserved it.' I didn’t say, 'Give it to me,' though she might have. I’ve been helping her along the way. They needed a lot of help in Venezuela during the crisis. I’m happy because I saved millions of lives," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Trump, who had expected to be recognised for what he described as having “ended seven wars,” also tied the Ukraine conflict to his broader peace efforts.

"I said, 'Well, what about the seven others? I should get a Nobel Prize for each one.' They told me, 'If you stop Russia and Ukraine, sir, you should be able to get the Nobel.' I said, I stopped seven wars — that’s one more, and that’s a big one," Trump said, naming conflicts he claimed to have halted, including "Armenia and Azerbaijan, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Congo."

Also Read: White House fumes as Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize over Trump

Boasts of ending seven wars

Last month, Trump had argued that his exclusion from the Nobel Peace Prize list despite allegedly resolving seven global disputes was an “insult” to the United States. During a meeting with generals at Quantico, he expressed optimism about his 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war, saying success would take his total to eight resolved conflicts.

Still, he voiced scepticism about ever winning the prize, saying it would likely go to someone "who did not do a damn thing," perhaps a writer chronicling his efforts. Trump emphasised that he did not personally seek the award, but believed it should be seen as recognition for the country’s peace efforts.

Following the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize announcement, the White House criticised the Nobel Committee’s decision not to honour Trump. Spokesperson Steven Cheung said the President would "continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives," adding that Trump "has the heart of a humanitarian and can move mountains with his willpower."

Also Read: Nobel ambition: What Trump has said so far

Machado thanks Trump for support

Machado received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela and lead a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democratic governance.

In a post on social media, Machado expressed gratitude to Trump for his "decisive support" and dedicated the award to both him and the Venezuelan people.

"This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans strengthens our resolve to win our freedom. We are on the verge of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, and democratic nations around the world as our allies," she wrote.

"I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!" she wrote.