President Donald Trump reportedly called Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg last month, seizing the opportunity not only to discuss the thorny issue of tariffs but also to make a direct pitch for the Nobel Peace Prize. The conversation, reported by Norwegian business daily Dagens Næringsliv, has sparked international attention for its unusual blend of hardball trade talk and personal ambition.
According to Reuters, Stoltenberg was walking down a street in Oslo when the unexpected call came through. Out of the blue, Trump launched into a discussion about trade and tariffs before shifting to a more personal request. He told the finance minister that he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize, an accolade awarded by Norway that has previously gone to four U.S. presidents. Trump has had a long-standing fascination with the award and believes that he has earned it through his foreign policy achievements.
BREAKING: In an insane moment, Trump — who can’t stop talking and posting about the Nobel Peace Prize, or exaggerating his accomplishments — claimed he isn’t “politicking for the Nobel Prize.”
And then proceeded to politick for it.
Again.pic.twitter.com/qpYizONUUv— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) August 8, 2025
Stoltenberg confirmed the call in comments to Reuters, saying that the discussion centered on tariffs and economic cooperation ahead of Trump’s planned conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. When pressed on the specifics of the Nobel remarks, Stoltenberg declined to elaborate, stating, “I will not go into further detail about the content of the conversation.” He did, however, note that senior U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, were also on the line.
The timing of the exchange is notable. On July 31, the White House announced a 15 percent tariff on imports from Norway, matching the rate already applied to the European Union. Norway and the United States remain locked in talks over the matter, with Stoltenberg confirming this week that negotiations are ongoing. Trade tensions have been a point of friction, and Trump’s decision to link them, even indirectly, with his quest for the Nobel has raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles.
Trump wanted that Nobel peace prize right? Well he could get it if he arrests Putin when he lands in Alaska pic.twitter.com/TzVxmKY8pz
— Robert van der Noordaa (@g900ap) August 13, 2025
It is not the first time Trump has brought up the Nobel Peace Prize with Stoltenberg. The Norwegian paper reported that the topic has surfaced in previous conversations as well. Trump has repeatedly argued that his record on foreign policy merits recognition, often comparing himself to Barack Obama, who won the prize in 2009 during his first year in office. Trump has openly questioned why Obama received the honor and has suggested that his own administration’s achievements are far more deserving.
Several countries, including Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia, have nominated Trump for the Nobel in recent years, citing his role in brokering peace agreements or ceasefires. Trump himself has claimed credit for stopping as many as five wars, a point he often raises when speaking about his legacy on the global stage.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member panel appointed by Norway’s parliament in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel. Each year, hundreds of candidates are nominated, but only one laureate is chosen. The announcement is made in Oslo every October, and the process is conducted in strict secrecy until then.
For Trump, the prize remains an unfulfilled ambition, one that he appears willing to pursue alongside his policy agenda. The combination of trade negotiations and personal lobbying in a single phone call adds a dramatic chapter to his already unconventional approach to diplomacy.
Whether the committee will view his actions as worthy of the award will be decided in the coming months. Still, for now, the alleged conversation between Trump and Stoltenberg stands as a striking example of political theater crossing into the realm of personal aspiration.
