US President Donald Trump has dismissed talk that he is seeking the Nobel Peace Prize, despite weeks of speculation and past remarks suggesting he deserves it.
“I have nothing to say about it,” Trump told CBS News. “All I can do is put out wars. I don’t seek attention. I just want to save lives.”
The tone contrasts with earlier comments in which Trump argued he should be awarded the honor for helping resolve conflicts.
During the phone interview, he stressed his commitment to brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine, saying: “Something is going to happen. We are going to get it done.” Trump is expected to join pro-Ukraine European leaders in Paris by phone on Thursday, while his envoy Steve Witkoff will attend in person.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on 10 October by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Four US presidents, including Trump’s political rival Barack Obama, have previously received the award.
Trump has at times expressed frustration over the prize, telling supporters in February: “They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it, but they will never give it.” His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, echoed that sentiment in July, insisting it was “well past time” for him to be honored.
Members of Trump’s inner circle have amplified the message. At a recent cabinet meeting, envoy Steve Witkoff called him the “single finest” Nobel candidate in history, citing his “game-changing” diplomacy.
The Norwegian parliament appoints the five-member Nobel panel. Trump has reportedly raised the subject with Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, though Stoltenberg has not confirmed the discussion.
Trump has been nominated by several nations, including Israel and Pakistan, and has claimed credit for easing tensions between Pakistan and India earlier this year. He has also previously boasted of “ending” six or seven wars, though analysts note some of those conflicts were brief flare-ups rooted in long-running disputes.
BBC Verify has reviewed Trump’s role in at least seven conflicts — including disputes involving Israel, Iran, and others — while questioning the durability of some of the peace deals. Photo by ProtoplasmaKid / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia commons.
