Video clips of President Donald Trump repeating his assertion that he ended “eight wars” during a White House briefing earlier this year have resurfaced on social media, reigniting debate over his foreign policy record and his long-standing desire for the Nobel Peace Prize.
At 79, the Republican president has repeatedly contrasted his achievements with those of former President Barack Obama, now 64, particularly criticizing Obama’s 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Obama received the award less than nine months into his first term. The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” with emphasis on nuclear nonproliferation and improved global relations.
Trump, who has never received the prize despite expressing his wish for it, argues that he deserves the honor far more. In the resurfaced January video from a White House press briefing, he declared: “Whether people like Trump or don’t like Trump, I settled eight wars. Big ones. Some going on for 36 years, 32 years, 31 years, 28 years, 25 years. Some just getting ready to start like India and Pakistan.”
He continued: “I got it done in rapid order without nuclear weapons. I can’t think of anyone in history who should get the Nobel Prize more than me… Nobody else settled wars!” Trump added that Obama “got the Nobel Prize… almost immediately upon attaining office and he didn’t do anything,” calling him a “bad president.” He claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had praised him for resolving conflicts that others could not, and concluded, “I don’t care about that. What I care about is saving lives. I’ve saved tens of millions of lives.”
Trump’s list of alleged “eight wars” ended in his second term has included various global conflicts, such as tensions between Israel and Hamas/Iran, India and Pakistan, and others like Armenia-Azerbaijan or Thailand-Cambodia. Critics and fact-checkers have challenged the claims as exaggerated, noting that many situations involved ceasefires with mixed or temporary results rather than permanent resolutions, and some conflicts have seen renewed flare-ups.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung has attributed Trump’s lack of a Nobel to politics, stating: “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace. President Trump will continue making peace deals around the world, 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.”
In response to questions about Trump’s assertions that denying him the prize would insult the United States, Nobel Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes emphasized the committee’s independence. He noted that the body has faced many campaigns and receives thousands of letters annually advocating for various causes. “This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity,” Frydnes said. “So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
The resurfaced remarks highlight the ongoing contrast Trump draws between his self-described peacemaking efforts and Obama’s early recognition, even as the Nobel Committee maintains its focus on established criteria rather than public lobbying. Trump has continued to frame his diplomatic initiatives as historic life-saving achievements, regardless of the prize outcome.
