Few awards stir as much global drama, or bruised egos, as the Nobel Peace Prize. Once envisioned by Alfred Nobel as a beacon of “peace and brotherhood of nations,” the medal has become a stage for politics. Now, President Donald Trump’s consistent pursuit of that golden medallion has reignited debate over what the Nobel Peace Prize really stands for.
So, what does this coveted award symbolize in today’s world – peace, politics, or pure performance?
Trump’s latest hope for the Peace Prize came with a high-profile boost. It was from none other than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Just hours before this year’s Nobel announcement, Netanyahu took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare: “Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize – he deserves it!” The post came with an AI-generated image. It showed the Israeli leader placing a golden medal around Trump’s neck.
The endorsement arrived on the heels of Trump’s much-publicized “20-point Gaza peace deal,” a proposal that led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu’s praise coincided with the announcement.
But was it genuine admiration or strategic flattery? Trump has long touted himself as the ultimate dealmaker. He boasted that he’s “good at solving wars.” Yet critics argue that the president’s version of peace often looks more like strongman diplomacy than genuine reconciliation. His recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and “maximum pressure” tactics in the Middle East, they say, escalated divides rather than healing them.
When the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the 2024 Peace Prize winner, Venezuelan democracy advocate María Corina Machado, it wasn’t Trump’s name they read. The White House communications director Steven Cheung fired back, and accused the committee of choosing “politics over peace.”
Trump, 79, tried to play it cool. He insisted the new laureate had actually paid him tribute. “The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me, and said ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it.’ A really nice thing to do,” he told reporters on Friday.
Still, as he boarded Air Force One bound for Tel Aviv, his disappointment visible. He proudly flashed a screenshot of Netanyahu’s endorsement, and told journalists, “[Netanyahu] just put me up for the Nobel prize. So you know, I don’t know what it means with the Nobel prize but he put me up.”
Asked how his new Gaza deal fits into his legacy, Trump said, “This will be my eighth war that I’ve solved. I’m good at solving wars. I’m good at making peace and it’s an honor to do it. I’ve saved millions of lives.”
He then circled back, yet again, to the award, “Now in all fairness to the Nobel committee, it was for 2024. And this was picked for 2024. But there are those that say you could make an exception because a lot of things happened during ’25 that are done and complete and great.”
He concluded with, “But I did this not for Nobel. I did this for saving lives.”
According to Trump, Machado herself called to dedicate her Nobel victory to him. Trump insists she told him directly she was accepting the prize “in honor of you.” Whether it was a diplomatic courtesy or another of Trump’s self-spun tales is unclear.
Doni was offended. How sensitive he is…
Donald Trump was left without the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
Earlier, he complained that he would not receive the prize despite his peacemaking efforts, warning that this would be an insult to him and the United States.
“Vesti” pic.twitter.com/4ss704MQ8D
— Victor vicktop55 commentary (@vick55top) October 10, 2025
Trump may not have walked away with the medal, but he’s kept the spotlight on what the award has become. A political circus disguised as a peace parade. The Nobel Committee will look forward to look past power and back toward principle.
Because at the end of the day, peace isn’t about photo ops or applause lines, it’s about actions that last longer than the news cycle.
And when the next Peace Prize is announced, one question will hang in the air. Will it honor real peacemakers, or just the best players in the world’s biggest political show?
