‘Completely unheard of’: Why Norway is furious over a Nobel Peace Prize gift to Trump

Trump accepted the medal during a White House meeting on January 15, after years of publicly complaining that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. The gesture immediately sparked criticism in Norway, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded and administered.

“This is completely unheard of,” said Professor Janne Haaland Matlary of the University of Oslo. She told public broadcaster NRK that giving away the medal showed “a total lack of respect for the award,” describing the act as “meaningless” and “pathetic.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee quickly distanced itself from the move, stressing that Nobel Peace Prizes cannot be transferred, shared or gifted. In a brief statement, the committee said the award belongs solely to the recipient and that no individual has the authority to pass it on.

Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate, said she gave Trump the medal to recognise what she called his “unique commitment” to Venezuela’s political transition. However, she has played no formal role in the country’s leadership since US forces removed President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month while leaving his governing structure largely intact.

Former Oslo mayor Raymond Johansen warned that the episode risked politicising the Nobel Peace Prize and damaging its global credibility. “This is unbelievably embarrassing and harmful to one of the world’s most important prizes,” he wrote on social media.

Trump has long expressed frustration with the Nobel Committee, arguing that his role in ending or managing conflicts during his second term has gone unrecognised. While he accepted the medal, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made clear that the action carries no official meaning and does not constitute recognition by the Nobel institution.