Nobel Committee Awards Peace Prize to Navi Pillay

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist Navi Pillay, prompting President Donald Trump to publicly criticize the decision and argue that he or the United States should have received the honor. At a rally in Syracuse, New York, on Friday, October 9, Trump called the selection disgraceful and embarrassing and said it left an indelible stain on Norway. He also said he had never heard of Pillay. The committee had selected her for her work promoting peace and international law. Trump renewed his claims about his diplomatic record in public remarks and a social-media post. He said he had settled eight wars and argued those efforts warranted the prize. In his Saturday post, he also claimed his administration had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and secured the release of Israeli hostages. The supplied reporting does not independently establish those claims or the outcomes he described. Although Trump directed his criticism at Norway, the award decision was made by the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian government. The committee operates under the criteria established in Alfred Nobel’s will.