Trump Renews Nobel Peace Prize Bid, Says He Deserves the Award but Doubts He Will Win

US President Donald Trump has renewed his public campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he believes his diplomatic record makes him deserving of the prestigious international award.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said he had helped settle eight wars since returning to the White House and argued that his record was unlike that of previous US presidents.

Trump also acknowledged uncertainty over the decision, saying he did not know what the Norwegian Nobel Committee would decide and suggesting that the committee may be reluctant to honour “people like me.”

A central part of Trump's Nobel Peace Prize campaign is his claim that his administration has helped resolve eight international conflicts.

Trump has highlighted diplomatic efforts involving countries and regions including Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

However, the extent of Trump's role is disputed in some cases. Fighting has also returned in several areas, raising questions over whether temporary ceasefires or diplomatic agreements can be described as permanently settled wars.

During his remarks, Trump again referred to former US President Barack Obama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Trump questioned why Obama received the award early in his presidency, arguing that Obama had not accomplished enough to justify the honour at that stage. Trump has previously used Obama's Nobel win to contrast what he sees as recognition based on expectations with his own claimed diplomatic achievements.

Trump also pointed to an unusual episode involving Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

Machado gave Trump her Nobel medal during a meeting in January, a gesture Trump has cited while making his case for the 2026 award. However, receiving another laureate's medal does not constitute receiving or transferring the Nobel Peace Prize itself. The award remains Machado's.

Trump's Nobel campaign comes against a complicated geopolitical backdrop. His administration has been involved in efforts to end several international conflicts, but the Russia-Ukraine war remains unresolved.

At the same time, the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran has complicated Trump's claims as a peacemaker. Critics argue that continued military conflict makes his Nobel case more difficult, while Trump's supporters point to his diplomatic and negotiating efforts.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, rather than the US government or any individual political leader, makes the final decision. Individual nominations are also confidential under Nobel rules, meaning public claims about who has nominated Trump cannot independently be verified at this stage.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is scheduled to be announced on October 9. Trump remains among the high-profile figures discussed ahead of the announcement, although other individuals and organisations are also being considered.

For now, Trump says the award would recognise his diplomatic achievements, but his latest comments make clear that he does not expect the outcome to be certain.