Trump Says Norway Will ‘Not Forget’ Nobel Snub After Navi Pillay Wins Peace Prize

US President Donald Trump has attacked Norway after South African jurist Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, calling the decision an “indelible stain” and accusing the Nobel committee of discrediting the award. Speaking at a campaign rally in Syracuse, New York, on Friday, Trump dismissed Pillay as an unfamiliar figure and again argued that his diplomatic record merited the honour.

Pillay, 85, is a former United Nations high commissioner for human rights whose career spans the struggle against apartheid and international criminal justice. The Nobel committee recognised her contribution to international law and efforts to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Trump's remarks revived his long-running grievance over the prize and came amid tensions between his administration and international legal institutions over investigations involving Israel.

Trump Attacks Norway Over Nobel Peace Prize Snub

According to Reuters, Trump called the decision “an indelible stain on the country of Norway” and described it as “such a disgraceful and embarrassing decision”.

Trump dismissed Pillay, saying he had never heard of her, and accused the Nobel committee of discrediting the prize. He described the committee's decision as the work of “a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilization”.

“And we will not forget, Norway,” he added.

Trump also claimed credit for preventing conflicts involving North and South Korea, Japan and North Korea, and China and Taiwan, but provided no evidence for his claimed role in preventing them, Reuters reported.

The remarks came during a campaign rally in Syracuse, where Trump again argued that his diplomatic record warranted the prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, whose five members are appointed by Norway's parliament, independently selects the laureate. Although the award ceremony takes place in Oslo, Trump directed his criticism at Norway as well as the committee.

Who Is Navi Pillay And Why Did She Win?

Born in Durban, South Africa, to a family of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay grew up under apartheid and became a lawyer who defended anti-apartheid activists. In 1995, she became the first Black woman appointed as a judge to South Africa's High Court.

Pillay later served as a judge and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which prosecuted those responsible for the 1994 genocide, and as a judge at the International Criminal Court. She was the UN high commissioner for human rights from 2008 to 2014.

The Associated Press reported that Pillay's work at the Rwanda tribunal helped establish the prosecution of sexual violence as an international crime. The Nobel committee also recognised her wider contribution to international law and accountability.

Pillay chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, from 2021 to 2025. In a 2025 report, the commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel has rejected.

Al Jazeera reported that Pillay dedicated the award to survivors of international crimes. The Nobel committee's decision recognises her broader career; it is not a judicial ruling on the commission's findings about Gaza.

Trump's Long-Running Nobel Grievance

Trump has repeatedly argued that his diplomatic record merits the Nobel Peace Prize, although his claimed role in resolving international disputes has been contested.

His remarks came amid strained relations between Washington and international legal institutions. On Friday, the Trump administration imposed sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court as part of its campaign against the tribunal over investigations involving the United States and its allies, including Israel. The announcement came hours after Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pillay served as an ICC judge from 2003 to 2008. She has also served as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention.

Trump's warning that Norway would not be forgotten underlined his continued anger at being passed over for the prize.