US President Donald Trump criticized Norway and the Nobel Peace Prize decision at a rally in Syracuse, New York, on Oct. 9, arguing that the award should have gone to the US and calling the outcome an "indelible stain" on Norway.
His remarks came after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a South African jurist and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in recognition of her work in human rights and international justice.
Pillay has held senior roles in international judicial and human rights institutions, including serving as a judge at international courts. She also chaired a UN commission that investigated the conflict in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel.
Trump dismissed the selection, describing Pillay as a liberal who worked at the United Nations and claiming that few people knew who she was. He also said he had never heard of her, despite claiming to know many people.
Trump called the decision "disgraceful and embarrassing" and accused those responsible for the selection of discrediting the prize.
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