What MAGA Voices Are Saying After Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Snub
MAGA-aligned individuals and Trump’s inner circle were dissatisfied when Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize instead of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Responses criticize the Nobel Committee’s choices and global award politics.
The Nobel Committee Chair, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, emphasized that the selection was completely based on merit. In response to Trump’s peace prize campaign, Frydnes claimed the committee used public pressure and high-profile candidates. He said the council used “the work and the will of Alfred Nobel,” not media or politics, to evaluate submissions. The committee considered Trump’s efforts noise, not judgment.
Machado thanked Trump and dedicated her medal to Venezuela. She declared, “We are on the threshold of victory,” calling democratic nations and Trump supporters to fight for freedom. She linked her honor to Trump’s propaganda of international collaboration and democratic boldness.
Trump supporters were harsh. Trump will keep making deals and saving lives, accusing the Nobel Committee of putting politics over peace, according to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. Further, Trump’s Venezuela envoy Richard Grenell argued the committee’s oversight degraded the Nobel Prize. Republicans also tried symbolic action: Representative Buddy Carter introduced a House resolution to grant Trump the Nobel Prize, which was political theater given its independence.
Conservative and MAGA social media pundits raged. Trump’s Gaza ceasefire was favored by many. Some called the Nobel a “participation trophy” today. Given Obama’s earlier honors, the snub was criticized for exhibiting long-standing bias against Republicans.
Foreign reactions exacerbated issues. Putin applauded Trump’s diplomacy and questioned the Nobels’ authenticity, saying they occasionally honor little accomplishments. Trump’s critics noted that proposing or campaigning for a Nobel is different from winning one, and that the Nobel process is opaque, selective, and affected by long-term peace, democracy, and human rights perceptions
The MAGA speakers’ loud criticism may not affect global perceptions or Norway’s Nobel institutions. It may invigorate Trump’s base by highlighting global and outsider bias. Questions concerning political legitimacy, democratic credentials, and global institution protection from partisan pressures may arise from the rejection of international prizes and political symbols.
Sources
Washington Examiner
The Guardian
Associated Press
Washington Post
Newsweek
Axios
