Trump laments Obama's 'undeserved' Nobel as prize announcement looms

United States President Donald Trump lamented on 9 October 2025 that Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize "for nothing," just days before the 2025 award announcement, underscoring his long-standing fixation on the honour amid fresh diplomatic wins like the Gaza ceasefire.

In a White House address to military leaders, Trump quipped: "They'll give it to some guy that didn't do a damn thing; they'll give it to the guy who wrote a book about the mind of Donald Trump… it will be a big insult to our country."

The remark, delivered hours after his Gaza breakthrough, drew laughs from the audience but highlighted Trump's simmering resentment, with experts noting it as a "running joke" among diplomats.

As the Norwegian Nobel Committee prepares to unveil the winner, Trump's desperation—evident in repeated outbursts and lobbying—has become a hallmark of his second term, contrasting Obama's "slight" accomplishments that earned the 2009 prize.

Latest lament amid Gaza triumph

Trump's comment came during a Quantico speech on 9 October, where he touted brokering "peace in eight wars," including the Israel-Hamas Phase One deal. He dodged direct questions on the prize but pivoted to Obama: "If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds."

The dig, echoing a June Truth Social post—"No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do"—reflected frustration over the timing, with the announcement set for 10 October. 

White House aides downplayed it, with communications director Steven Cheung stating: "The Nobel is illegitimate without Trump."

On X, reactions split: Supporters shared memes of Trump in a Nobel gown, while critics posted Obama's acceptance speech, captioning: "Accomplishments slight? Trump's ego massive."

Norwegian officials, tight-lipped, noted the irony—Obama's win sparked resignations, yet Trump's overt pursuit risks alienating the committee.

Flashback: Early fixation in first term

Trump's Nobel obsession dates to 2018, when he first publicly griped after the Abraham Accords groundwork. In a September 2018 presser with Imran Khan, he boasted: "I would get a Nobel Prize for a lot of things, if they give it out fairly, which they don’t."

Days later, after Iran's Qasem Soleimani strike, he fumed over Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed winning for his role: "I saved a country, and I just heard that the head of that country is now getting the Nobel Peace Prize for saving the country."

By 2019, the fixation intensified. In February, during a Netanyahu meeting, Trump declared, "They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. It’s too bad. I deserve it, but they will never give it to me." He contrasted it with Obama's award, "less than nine months after taking office, for confronting 'the great climatic challenges.'"

Aides like John Bolton later recalled Trump's irritation: "If Obama got it for not doing anything, why should he not get it?"

Escalation during 2020-24 campaign

The 2020 Abraham Accords amplified Trump's lobbying. In September, he brandished a letter from Japan's Shinzo Abe nominating him: "Prime Minister Abe... is asking them to give you the Nobel Peace Prize." Yet, in October, he vented: "I’ll probably never get it. But that’s okay. They gave it to Obama."

Post-loss, the bitterness lingered; in 2021 rallies, he mocked the committee for ignoring his "peace through strength."

The 2024 campaign revived it. In Detroit, Trump ranted: "If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds." He claimed saving "a big war, I saved a couple of ‘em," contrasting Obama's "slight" efforts.

Nominations from Claudia Tenney and others fuelled hopes, but Trump pre-empted rejection: "They’ll have to do what they do."

Second term's frantic push

Inaugurated in January this year, Trump's second term opened with peacemaker vows: "My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier." By March, he lobbied Netanyahu for a nomination letter, displaying it at the White House. In June, after Rwanda-DRC mediation, he posted: "I saved a country... but the head of that country is now getting the Nobel." July saw a call to Norway's Jens Stoltenberg, blending tariffs with prize pleas. In August, ahead of Putin talks, he mused: "Alaska 2025 must not become Munich 1938." September's UN speech listed "eight wars" resolved, downplaying prize interest yet circling the 10 October date.

Diplomats joke: "Anytime he talks solving seven wars, it's code for Nobel."

Reactions and expert views

Allies like Lindsey Graham push nominations, while critics like Nina Græger call his pursuit "unprecedented thirsting," unlikely to sway the committee.

On X, memes abound: "Trump's Nobel chase: More desperate than his tweets." As the clock ticks to 10 October, Trump's saga blends diplomacy with personal quest.