White House blasts Nobel panel as Machado dedicates prize to Trump

In a striking display of indignation and self-assured triumph, the White House on Friday, 10 October, lashed out at the Nobel Peace Prize committee, accusing it of “placing politics over peace” after US President Donald Trump was once again passed over for the coveted honour — this year awarded to Venezuelan Opposition leader María Corina Machado.

“The Nobel committee proved they place politics over peace,” declared White House director of communications Steven Cheung in a blistering social media post, asserting that President Trump had done more than any world leader to foster global stability.

“He will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” Cheung added.

Trump, undeterred by the snub, took to his social media platform to thank Russian President Vladimir Putin for commending his peace efforts, writing simply, “Thank you to President Putin!” The Russian leader, speaking to reporters in Dushanbe, praised Trump for his “significant contributions” in resolving longstanding international crises.

Adding an unexpected twist to the unfolding drama, Nobel laureate Machado herself hailed Trump’s “decisive support,” dedicating her prize to both the Venezuelan people and the US president. “This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom,” she wrote. “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”

According to the Norwegian Nobel committee, Machado was honoured 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.”

Trump, however, appeared to view the award as a symbolic acknowledgment of his own accomplishments, particularly his claimed role in defusing the India-Pakistan conflict earlier this year. “The person who actually got the Nobel prize called today, called me, and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it,’” Trump said with characteristic flourish. “A really nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me, though.’”

For months, Trump has touted what he describes as a historic record of peacemaking — from the Abraham Accords to the “ending” of multiple regional wars — maintaining that his diplomacy has “saved countless lives” and reshaped the global order.

Even as critics questioned the veracity of his sweeping claims, the former reality-TV-star-turned-president once again cast himself as the world’s most unrecognised peacemaker — a man, in his own words, who “moved mountains” yet still awaits his Nobel moment.

With IANS inputs