Lindsey Graham says Nobel Prize should be changed to 'Trump Prize'

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Lindsey Graham has declared that the Nobel Prize should be renamed the “Trump Prize” if President Donald Trump succeeds in getting Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel.

Graham made the remarks during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity while discussing Trump’s foreign policy efforts and the president’s endorsement of Graham’s reelection bid.

Lindsey Graham's comments fuel backlash

During the interview on Wednesday, May 27, Graham praised Trump’s diplomatic ambitions in the Middle East and claimed a breakthrough between Saudi Arabia and Israel would reshape the region.

“If he can get Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of Islam in the world, to recognize the State of Israel, then he will have ended the Israeli-Arab conflict that’s been going on for thousands of years,” Graham said. “They should change the Nobel Prize to the Trump Prize.”

The remark immediately became the focal point of criticism online, particularly as Trump’s negotiations with Iran appeared to lose momentum. 

Efforts to end the conflict had “effectively stalled,” while the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, as per the source.

One social media reaction described Graham’s appearance as “ignorant,” reinforcing criticism that the senator’s glowing praise for Trump clashed with the reality of escalating instability in the region.

The timing also intensified scrutiny around Trump’s broader Middle East strategy as violence and diplomatic uncertainty continued to dominate headlines.

Trump faces pressure over Iran talks

Background developments surrounding the Iran negotiations added to the tension surrounding Graham’s comments.

Iran’s foreign ministry denounced recent US strikes targeting missile launchers and mine-laying operations in the Strait of Hormuz as “an act of bad faith” and “a definitive violation of the ceasefire,” though negotiations reportedly continued under mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, according to a source. 

At the same time, Trump postponed a planned cabinet meeting at Camp David due to bad weather while continuing to defend his handling of the conflict on Truth Social. 

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reportedly remained in Doha to negotiate the release of more than $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets and seek sanctions relief tied to oil exports and shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, regional tensions showed little sign of easing. Israeli military operations reportedly expanded deeper into southern Lebanon, while Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, claimed “the tide of history was moving in Iran’s favour” and predicted the “elimination of Israel by 2040.”

Against that backdrop, Graham’s suggestion that the Nobel Prize should become the “Trump Prize” only intensified questions from critics about whether Trump’s Middle East influence was producing results or becoming a growing political liability.