Kathrine Frich
Donald Trump has repeatedly complained about missing out on the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Sharing the spotlight is never easy for high-profile couples.
When a coveted international prize enters the picture, even a proud partner can suddenly feel left in the shadows.
Now, a diplomatic breakthrough has sparked a wild theory about how far that rivalry could go.
Taking the credit
Melania Trump is facing fierce pushback over her role in a humanitarian truce for Oleshky, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, the Irish Star reported. Residents there have suffered severe shortages of food, medicine, electricity, heat, and running water.
Calling the local situation “dire” and “on the brink of disaster”, the first lady issued a bold statement about her work: “It was abundantly clear that without my intervention, the possibility to bring humanitarian aid into the city and to evacuate the elderly would be impossible.”
Although the White House said she worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian officials, the Vatican had already detailed Pope Leo XIV’s earlier outreach.
The pontiff called Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 16 to ask for safe aid passage and spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy three days later.
While Moscow confirmed Putin’s pledge to help, former Biden aide Chris Jackson blasted the administration on X: “Pope Leo personally called Putin and Zelenskyy, pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Now the Trump White House is trying to give MELANIA TRUMP the credit, completely ignoring the Pope’s efforts!”
During a discussion on The Daily Beast, cited by the Mirror US and the Irish Star, Joanna Coles also pointed out the pontiff’s groundwork. She noted:
“The other thing that’s fascinating about it is it was actually Pope Leo who apparently first brought Oleshky to light with the Russians and said, ‘We have to do something about this’.”
Coles then slammed the first lady’s press release: “But Melania has issued a statement saying that she alone is the person that’s made this possible. I mean, hello, Pope Leo, the man is recovering from a cancer operation. The week before, he was hustling on behalf of Oleshky, and now Melania Trump has elbowed him out of the way. Out of the picture. It’s beyond.”
A Nobel twist
Author Michael Wolff quickly chimed in on the podcast. “Well, she seems to have elbowed out both the Pope and her husband, actually,” he remarked.
Because Donald Trump has repeatedly complained at a South Carolina rally about missing out on the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, Coles asked how the president would react if his wife won the honour instead.
Wolff did not hold back with his joke. “Yes. He would divorce her and run off officially with Natalie Harp,” he said, before adding: “No. This is extraordinary.”
According to the Irish Star, Harp is a former One America News Network presenter who now works as the president’s executive assistant and manages his social media accounts.
