The White House slammed the Nobel committee on Friday for playing “politics” with its prestigious peace prize after President Donald Trump lobbied heavily for the honor — only to see it awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The committee said it was honoring her “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Her victory came as the Trump administration has repeatedly targeted vessels off Venezuela’s coast, claiming they were “drug ships,” escalating its campaign against Venezuela’s drug cartels.
The White House was bitter in its response to Friday’s award announcement. President Trump “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,” communications director Steven Cheung said in a post on social media. “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” he added. Trump campaigned heavily for the prize, repeatedly boasting he had ended “seven wars” and reposting tributes on social media. But he tried to downplay expectations on Thursday, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “They’ll have to do what they do. Whatever they do is fine. I know this: I didn’t do it for that. I did it because I saved a lot of lives.” When asked about the pressure from Trump’s allies to give the president the award, Nobel Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes told reporters on Friday: “We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace.” He added that the award is based on “courage and integrity, so we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”
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