White House reacts as Nobel Peace Prize goes to Machado instead of Trump

The White House has reacted angrily after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was named the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, beating U.S. President Donald Trump, who had been widely tipped for the honour.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the Nobel Committee had “put politics over peace,” insisting that President Trump would continue to pursue peace deals around the world.

“President Trump 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 said.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Machado as the 2025 laureate on Friday in Oslo, praising her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela” and her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Trump, whose name had been heavily promoted in the run-up to the award, was passed over despite his Gaza peace plan, which helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after two years of fighting.

The U.S. leader had repeatedly described himself as a “peacemaker” and long claimed he deserved the prize, citing his efforts to end global conflicts.

The Nobel announcement came just hours after Israel confirmed that a Gaza ceasefire was in effect following a cabinet vote adopting the first phase of Trump’s proposal, which includes the release of hostages and a pause in hostilities.