Nobel Peace Prize Panel Rejects Trump’s Campaign Influence

By Staff, Agencies

The Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize committee has dismissed suggestions that US President Donald Trump’s push for the award could sway its decision. Officials stressed that the committee operates independently and cannot be influenced by political campaigns.

“Of course, we do notice that there is a lot of media attention towards particular candidates,” said Kristian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the committee, in an interview with AFP in Oslo. “But that really has no impact on the discussions that are going on in the committee.”

Since January, Trump has claimed he deserves the Nobel Prize for ending wars and promising to resolve conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, citing support from leaders like Netanyahu and Aliyev.

However, nominations for the 2024 award closed on January 31, just 11 days after Trump took office, raising questions about the legitimacy of these endorsements.

Nominations can come from MPs, ministers, former laureates, and professors worldwide. While thousands can nominate, the 338-name longlist stays secret for 50 years.

“To be nominated is not necessarily a great achievement. The great achievement is to become a laureate,” Berg Harpviken explained. He emphasized that the committee relies on expert evaluations, not media campaigns, when selecting a winner.

Trump has reportedly raised the Peace Prize issue directly with Norwegian officials. According to Norwegian media, he mentioned it during a July phone call with Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg while discussing tariffs.

Despite such efforts, the Nobel Committee insists its decisions are apolitical, citing past choices like the 2010 award to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo despite backlash from Beijing. Norwegian analysts say Trump’s campaign is unlikely to succeed and may even backfire.

“If the committee were to give the prize to Trump now, it would obviously be accused of kowtowing,” Halvard Leira of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs warned, stressing the importance of preserving the committee’s independence.