Trump's Old Video Questioning Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Resurfaces Online

Former President Donald Trump, 79, has once again brought to the forefront the debate surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Barack Obama in 2009, months after he assumed his first presidential term. Trump, who has publicly expressed his desire to receive this prestigious award, shared a video from January 2024 on social media where he criticizes the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. In the video, Trump claims he has stopped “eight wars,” a statement that has been the subject of controversy and public debate.

Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2009 for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” focusing on his work on nuclear nonproliferation and foreign relations. Trump, on the other hand, has repeatedly stated his belief that he deserves the award for his actions in foreign policy, despite not having received it during his two terms in office.

In the video circulating on social media, Trump declares: “I can’t think of anybody in history that should get the Nobel Prize more than me.” The former president specifically mentions conflicts like those of India and Pakistan, claiming to have resolved them “in record time without nuclear weapons.” Furthermore, he criticizes Obama's management, stating that he “had no idea” why he received the award and that he was a “bad president”.

Trump also cites a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the difficulty of resolving conflicts, arguing that this reinforces his right to the award. He concludes the video by emphasizing his supposed impact on the “saving of millions of lives,” although without presenting concrete evidence. The video has generated various reactions on social media, reviving the debate about the legacy of both presidents in terms of international politics.

Trump's video contrasts with the statements of the Nobel Committee, whose chair, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, has emphasized that the committee's decisions are based on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel, and not on media campaigns. In 2026, the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a meeting at the White House, as a gesture of recognition of his commitment to the freedom of Venezuela. However, the Nobel committee clarified that the prize itself is not transferable.

This event, along with other statements and gestures, such as the intention to share the prize by a Nobel laureate, demonstrate the complex dynamics surrounding this prestigious award and the aspirations of political figures like Trump.

In response to the lack of a Nobel Prize for Trump, Steven Cheung, the then-White House director of communications, argued that the decision was based on political motives. Cheung claimed that the Nobel Committee prioritized politics over peace, and that Trump would continue to work for world peace, ending wars and saving lives. These statements reflect the Trump administration's perception of the award and its belief in its own impact on international politics.

Cheung's statements and Trump's viral video illustrate the ongoing controversy surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize and the aspirations of political figures to obtain it, as well as the accusations of politicization surrounding the award.

The resurgence of Trump's video and the reactions it has generated underscore the persistent controversy surrounding the Nobel Peace Prize and the criteria for its awarding. Opinions on whether Trump deserves the prize or not remain divided, and the debate extends to the assessment of his legacy in foreign policy and his impact on conflict resolution. The symbolic delivery of the medal by María Corina Machado and the statements of the Nobel Committee add more layers of complexity to the discussion.

Ultimately, the debate over the Nobel Peace Prize and its awarding reflects the intersection of politics, diplomacy, and international recognition, and how public figures seek to influence the narrative about their legacy and their impact on the world.