Nicolai Haugsted
Trump makes a startling declaration about Norwegian immigrants during a heated campaign speech.
Donald Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize has become one of the more persistent talking points of his presidency. The American leader has repeatedly argued that his diplomatic achievements deserve international recognition, making little effort to conceal his desire to join the prestigious list of Nobel laureates.
Unfortunately for Trump, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has yet to share his enthusiasm. The president has previously complained about being overlooked, but his frustration now appears to have spilled into an entirely different area of American politics.
According to The Independent, during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Trump reportedly suggested that citizens of a particular European country should no longer be welcome in the United States.
His reasoning had nothing to do with their qualifications, employment prospects or security concerns.
Instead, the president pointed directly to his disappointment over the Nobel Peace Prize.
And the country on the receiving end of his anger was Norway.
Trump takes aim at Norway over Nobel rejection
With the US midterm elections approaching, Trump used his Michigan appearance to discuss immigration and developments in Europe.
While referring to unrest in France, the president suggested that the United States should remain selective about which countries its immigrants come from.
Norway, however, received particularly harsh treatment.
Trump explicitly connected his opposition to Norwegian immigration with his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Because I didn’t get the Nobel Prize … So I don’t want anybody from Norway,” he told supporters, according to The Independent.
But the president was not finished.
“Norway has become a sh*t house country, actually,” Trump added.
The language echoed derogatory descriptions he has previously used when discussing countries including Haiti, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
His latest remarks were particularly striking because Norway is a longstanding American ally and a fellow member of NATO.
Despite the president’s declaration, there was no indication that his administration had introduced any new immigration restrictions targeting Norwegian citizens.
Trump’s comments therefore appeared to represent his personal position rather than an official change in US policy.
The Nobel Peace Prize remains a sore point
Trump’s disappointment over the prestigious award has been building for some time.
Throughout his political career, he has repeatedly highlighted what he considers his contributions to international peace and diplomacy.
He has also made no secret of his belief that those achievements deserve recognition from the Nobel committee.
The committee, however, has continued to select other recipients.
Trump previously described the failure to award him the prize as an “indelible stain” on Norway.
His latest comments suggest that the disagreement has become personal enough for him to criticize the country itself.
There is, however, an important distinction between Norway’s government and the institution responsible for awarding the prize.
The Nobel Peace Prize is selected by an independent five-member committee appointed by the Norwegian parliament.
Although the award ceremony takes place in Oslo, the Norwegian government does not decide who receives the honor.
Consequently, Trump’s suggestion that Norwegian citizens should face immigration consequences over the committee’s decision raises questions about why an entire country’s population would be held responsible.
Norway responds to Trump’s criticism
Norwegian officials have previously emphasized the independence of the Nobel committee when responding to Trump’s complaints.
Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated that distinction on Monday, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
“He knows very well that the Nobel Committee is independent. We have reminded him of that, in case anyone is wondering, and that is still the case,” Eide said.
The response underlined a central issue in Trump’s criticism.
Although Norway hosts the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and its parliament appoints the committee’s members, the government has no authority to award the prize to a particular candidate.
That separation has not prevented the president from directing his frustration toward the Scandinavian nation.
Nobel winner makes a joke at Trump’s expense
Trump’s outspoken desire to win the award has also attracted attention from this year’s actual recipient.
Former United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her contributions to international justice and accountability.
The South African judge and legal expert was recognized for her efforts to ensure that perpetrators of serious international crimes face prosecution.
Nobel committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes praised her role in international law, describing Pillay as having been “instrumental in ensuring war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.”
Pillay subsequently addressed Trump’s well-known interest in the prize with a joke.
During an academic and legal conference at the Nuremberg court, she entered a room to applause before offering the audience a playful suggestion.
“If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump,” she said.
The remark drew attention to the president’s ambitions without directly engaging in his criticism of Norway.
Trump, meanwhile, has continued to express dissatisfaction with the committee’s decision.
Trump’s description clashes with Norway’s economic standing
The president’s choice of words also stands in considerable contrast to Norway’s economic position.
According to data from the International Monetary Fund, the Scandinavian nation ranks among the world’s wealthiest countries when measured by gross domestic product per capita.
Norway also operates one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, financed primarily through revenue from its oil and gas industry.
During the first six months of 2026, the fund recorded a profit of approximately 1.75 trillion Norwegian kroner, equivalent to around $184.3 billion.
The result represented a record first-half profit for the fund.
Those figures offer a rather different picture from the country Trump described during his Michigan rally.
Norway’s economic prosperity does not, of course, settle questions about its domestic policies or immigration system.
However, the president did not identify any specific Norwegian economic problem when delivering his criticism.
Instead, his explanation focused squarely on the Nobel Peace Prize.
