Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay brings Trump into her celebration with an unexpected joke
The South African jurist drew laughter with a remark about the president, who has repeatedly said he deserves the prize
Navi Pillay had just learned she had won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize when she brought Donald Trump into the celebration. As colleagues applauded her at a legal conference in Nuremberg, Germany, on October 9, she joked: “If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump.” The room erupted in laughter. The award ceremony will take place on December 10 at Oslo City Hall in Norway.
The joke touched on Trump’s well-known desire to win the Nobel . It also appeared to reference last year’s winner, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who gave him her medal in January.
Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize push ends with a joke at his expense
Trump has repeatedly argued that his diplomatic efforts deserve the award. On October 7, he again claimed credit for resolving eight conflicts, although some parties dispute his role and fighting has resumed in several places. His pursuit also comes amid the continuing conflict with Iran following U.S.-Israeli strikes, while peace in Ukraine remains elusive.
The leaders of Israel, Cambodia and Pakistan publicly said they had nominated Trump. However, the Nobel Committee has not confirmed his nomination or whether he was shortlisted, as nomination records remain confidential for 50 years.
Trump has received a separate peace award. FIFA president Gianni Infantino presented him with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize on December 5, 2025, during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington. The soccer organization said it recognized his efforts to promote peace.
Who is Navi Pillay, the Nobel Peace Prize winner?
Pillay, 85, is a South African jurist and former U.N. human rights chief whose career began fighting apartheid and continued in international courts.
The Nobel Committee recognized her work promoting peace through international law, including efforts to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. She currently serves as an ad hoc judge in the International Court of Justice case concerning allegations of genocide against the Rohingya in Myanmar.
There was no publicly announced shortlist. Among the potential winners highlighted by the independent Peace Research Institute Oslo were Mykola Kuleba, founder of Save Ukraine; Save the Children; Sudan’s volunteer Emergency Response Rooms; the Committee to Protect Journalists; the International Court of Justice; the International Criminal Court; and the International Space Station partnership. These were expert picks, not confirmed finalists.
