Trump reportedly called Norwegian finance minister ‘out of the blue’ to discuss Nobel Prize and tariffs

OSLO, NORWAY: President Donald Trump unexpectedly contacted Norway’s finance minister, Jens Stoltenberg, to express his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize, according to an August 14 report by The Guardian.

Citing the Norwegian business outlet Dagens Næringsliv and unnamed sources, the report described the incident as occurring “out of the blue” while Stoltenberg was walking through the streets of Oslo.

The call, the outlet said, also touched on tariff matters.

Trump reportedly called Norwegian Minister to press for Nobel Peace prize

“The Norwegian outlet Dagens Næringsliv, citing unnamed sources, reported, ‘Out of the blue, while finance minister Jens Stoltenberg was walking down the street in Oslo, Donald Trump called, He wanted the Nobel Prize – and to discuss tariffs,’” the report noted, adding, “The outlet added that it was not the first time that Trump had raised the question of a Nobel peace prize nomination to Stoltenberg.”

The conversation was not a private exchange between the two alone; US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were reportedly on the line as well. Stoltenberg declined to elaborate on the discussion when speaking to the press, saying only, “I will not go into further detail about the content of the conversation.”

Each year, the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by Norway’s parliament in accordance with the will of 19th-century Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, reviews hundreds of candidates before announcing the laureates in October. Trump has often voiced frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor awarded to four of his predecessors, including Barack Obama. 

Last month, during a news conference, Trump claimed, “They would never give me a Peace Prize. They only give it to liberals,” while highlighting his first-term efforts to broker an economic agreement between Serbia and Kosovo.

Trump’s fascination with the Nobel Peace prize remains a one-sided affair

Donald Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize has become an ongoing narrative, one he has fueled with repeated public statements about why he believes he deserves the honor.

Over the years, several countries, including Israel, Pakistan, and Cambodia, have put his name forward for consideration. Trump has often cited his role in negotiating ceasefires between warring nations as justification, including what he describes as a peace effort between India and Pakistan.

However, India, along with several other nations, has not backed his claim of brokering that particular truce. Despite this, Trump has remained undeterred, even drawing comparisons between himself and four former US presidents, including Barack Obama, who were awarded the prize.

In 2024, Trump secured the endorsement of Republican Party leader Buddy Carter, who credited him with mediating a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Pakistan’s government also formally nominated him, praising what it claimed was his role in easing tensions between India and Pakistan during a cross-border crisis.