The White House has sharply criticized the Norwegian Nobel Committee for awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, instead of US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly touted his record of brokering peace deals around the world.

White House spokesman Steven Cheung described the decision as politically motivated, accusing the Nobel Committee of prioritising ideology over genuine efforts to achieve peace.

“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 wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”

Announcing its choice, the Nobel Committee praised Machado and other Venezuelan democracy advocates as “courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist authoritarian leadership.” Machado, a longtime critic of President Nicolás Maduro, has faced repeated arrests, travel bans, and harassment for her role in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement.

Trump, who has been openly campaigning for the Nobel Peace Prize since his first term, recently announced a ceasefire and hostage-release deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. The president has claimed credit for ending “eight wars since taking office” and insists he has done more than any world leader to merit the honor.

Though Trump did not immediately comment on Friday’s announcement, he posted three videos on his Truth Socialplatform showing supporters celebrating the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Last month, during a meeting with senior US military leaders, Trump predicted he would once again be passed over for the prize.

“Will I get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not. They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing,” he said, calling any rejection a “big insult” to the United States.

According to Nobel rules, nominations for this year’s award closed on January 31 just days after Trump returned to the White House for his second term on January 20.

Despite being snubbed, Trump’s aides say the president remains focused on his foreign-policy agenda and plans to pursue additional peace accords in the Middle East and Asia before the end of 2025.