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'I should have won 8 Nobel Peace Prizes': Trump slams Navi Pillay's win days after speaking of letting Iran bomb San Diego, Los Angeles
Trump argued that his claimed role in easing India-Pakistan tensions alone merited the Nobel Peace Prize.
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US President Donald Trump has claimed he should have won eight Nobel Peace Prizes for conflicts he says he helped settle, attacking the decision to award the 2026 honor to Navi Pillay days after his remarks about Iran potentially striking Los Angeles and San Diego drew widespread criticism.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned Pillay’s selection and argued that his diplomatic record had been overlooked despite his claims of ending wars and preventing further conflicts. His remarks came after the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Pillay, a South African jurist and former United Nations human rights chief, as this year’s laureate.
“In actuality, I should have won 8 Nobel Peace Prizes, not just 1,” Trump wrote, listing eight conflicts he claimed to have settled. His assertions about resolving the conflicts have not been independently established in their entirety.
Deep Dive
Trump claims Nobel recognition for eight conflicts
Trump listed Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Israel and Hamas among the conflicts he said he had helped resolve.
He singled out India and Pakistan, arguing that his role in easing tensions between the two countries alone should have been enough to secure the award.
“Any one of which, in particular, Pakistan and India, would be far more than necessary to win the Nobel Prize,” he wrote.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following their military confrontation in May 2025. India has maintained that the understanding to stop military action was reached through direct communication between the two countries' militaries, rejecting claims of third-party mediation.
Trump also claimed to have prevented Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and helped secure the return of Israeli hostages. The Nobel Committee, meanwhile, said Pillay was being honored for her efforts to promote peace and international law, including accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Iran remarks put Trump’s peace claims under scrutiny
Trump’s Nobel grievance followed controversy over his comments at a campaign rally in Nebraska on October 5, when he said, “Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” while discussing Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the economic costs of the conflict.
The remarks triggered criticism from California officials and others who interpreted them as suggesting the possible destruction of two major US cities was an acceptable price to pay.
Trump subsequently said his comments had been misinterpreted. He argued that he was making the case for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and insisted that he would not allow the country to attack American cities.
Trump attacks Nobel winner and United Nations
In his Truth Social post, Trump questioned Pillay’s credentials and accused her of hostility towards Israel. He also criticized the United Nations, claiming it had played no meaningful role in the conflicts he said he had settled.
“The United States of America, represented by me, as your President, should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t,” he wrote.
Trump called the decision “an indelible stain on Norway” and claimed the prize had been discredited.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Pillay as the 2026 laureate on October 9, citing her longstanding work advancing international justice and the rule of law.
