This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has found itself at the center of a social media storm, with users predicting diplomatic fallout over US President Donald Trump not receiving the award.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Home to the independent Nobel Committee, Norway is reportedly preparing for potential repercussions, with many online users claiming the country must now defend the committee’s neutrality and brace for Trump’s possible reaction.
“Norway is bracing for Trump's reaction if he does not win Nobel Peace Prize, stating that the US president may impose tariffs, demand higher Nato contributions or even declare Norway an enemy,” reported The Guardian.
Social media users used humour to express similar sentiments.
One commented, “How dare the Nobel Committee exclude President Trump @realDonaldTrump from the race? Tariffs on Norway are unstoppable now.”
Another wrote, “There would be a big tariff on the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. Tremendous peace work deserves respect. Nobody’s been treated so unfairly. Very, very unfair!”
Some users defended Trump’s record, with one writing, “Say what you will about Trump, but compared with Obama’s pre-emptive Nobel in 2009, he at least has a couple of actual peace processes on his CV. By that metric, he’s entitled to feel aggrieved.”
Another remarked, “It’s almost as if Trump traded his Nobel Peace Prize for regime change in Venezuela.”
Others applauded the Nobel Committee’s decision. “The integrity of the Nobel Peace Prize has been saved by not awarding it to Donald Trump. Congratulations!” one user posted.
Another wrote, “If Trump had won the Nobel Peace Prize, it would have mocked every laureate who truly earned it. The Nobel’s integrity just dodged a bullet.”
The Nobel Peace Prize, established under Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will, is awarded to “the person who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.”
Nominations must be submitted by January 31 each year. Eligible nominators include heads of state, cabinet ministers, members of international courts, university professors in relevant fields, previous laureates, and certain appointed members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Once nominations close, the committee conducts months of evaluation, prepares a shortlist, seeks expert reports, and decides by majority vote if consensus is not reached.
The final announcement is made in early October in Oslo.
Trump was among those nominated for the 2025 Peace Prize by several figures, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir.
He also claimed to have calmed the India-Pakistan standoff, though New Delhi denied this, maintaining that Operation Sindoor paused after Pakistan’s DGMO requested a cease.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday about the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump said, “Nobody in history has solved eight wars in a period of nine months. And I’ve stopped eight wars. That’s never happened before. But they’ll have to do what they do. Whatever they do is fine.”
The Nobel Committee traditionally values sustained peace efforts over short-term diplomatic interventions.
Bound by its statutes, the committee emphasises consistent and long-term contributions to global peace — a standard that guides its decisions each year.