Trump says he deserves Nobel Peace Prize but doubts he will win

US President Donald Trump has renewed his claim that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, while admitting that he is not confident the Norwegian Nobel Committee will select him for the 2026 award.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said he believed his efforts to address international conflicts justified recognition. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is due to announce this year’s winner on Friday.

“I don’t know what their decision is going to be,” Trump said, suggesting that the committee may be reluctant to honour someone like him.

Trump has repeatedly argued since returning to the White House that his diplomatic efforts make him a deserving candidate. He said he had intervened in eight conflicts since taking office and suggested his record should be considered when the prize is awarded.

Leaders from Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they nominated Trump, although such claims cannot independently be verified because Nobel nominations remain confidential.

Trump has also received an unusual gesture connected to the prize. In January, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, presented her medal to Trump during a meeting at the White House. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has clarified that giving away the physical medal does not transfer the Nobel laureate title.

Trump’s claim to a peace prize comes amid continuing conflicts and disputes over the extent of his diplomatic achievements. Some parties involved in conflicts that Trump has said he helped resolve have challenged his role, while fighting has resumed in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

His promise to end Russia’s war in Ukraine on the first day of his second term has also remained unfulfilled.

Meanwhile, the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has continued to affect the global economy, with disruptions to energy supplies contributing to higher fuel prices. The issue has also become a political concern in the United States ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Trump nevertheless maintains that his efforts have made him worthy of the award.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize race includes several other prominent names and organisations. Pope Leo, the International Criminal Court and the UN special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories have been cited among potential contenders.

With the announcement only days away, Trump’s latest comments have once again placed his Nobel ambitions at the centre of international attention.