Why Donald Trump missed 2025 Nobel Peace Prize? THIS official statement offers clue

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado instead of US President Donald Trump, who is known for publicly stating multiple times that he should win it.

Though the names of the 2025 Peace Prize nominees cannot be revealed until 2075, as per the Nobel Committee's 50-year secrecy policy, their statement after Machado's win hints at a possible reason behind the snub.

"We live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence ... We see the same trends globally: rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed towards authoritarian rule and militarisation," the committee said.

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This hints at the nature of the Trump administration, which is often perceived as authoritarian.

It also comes amid a US government shutdown that threatens hundreds of federal workers, ICE deportation-related protests, baseline tariffs on almost every US trading partner, and (contested) attempts at deploying the National Guard in Chicago.

Notably, the multiple nominations that the US president received from top leaders of countries like Russia, Pakistan, and Cambodia—as well as lawmakers from the US, Sweden, and Norway—do not necessarily lead to an official Nobel nomination.

Also, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recognises efforts of peacemakers from 2024, at which time Trump had been elected, but had not yet taken office. That nomination window ended in January 2025—just after Trump returned to the White House.

So while the question remains—how the man who claimed to have "settled" eight wars—which includes brokering the Gaza ceasefire deal—lost the prestigious prize, it might not be too far-fetched to say that Venezuela's 'Iron Lady' Machado, who has silently struggled for democracy for 20 years, has proven herself worthy of the Norwegian award.

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