Norway Fires Back After Donald Trump Calls Country a 'S---house' Over Nobel Peace Prize Snub: 'He Knows Very Well'

Norway's government has pushed back after President Donald Trump attacked the country over his failure to receive the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, insisting the panel responsible for selecting the winner operates independently.

Trump made the remarks Sunday, Oct. 25, at a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, where he linked his criticism of Norway to the Nobel committee's decision to award this year's prize to South African jurist Navi Pillay.

He also said Norwegian immigrants were not welcome in the United States because he did not receive the award.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide responded Monday, Oct. 26, stressing that the government has no role in choosing the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Trump brought up Norway while discussing immigration and said he would welcome immigrants from some countries but not from Norway.

"Frankly, Norway sucks. Norway has become a s****house country, actually," he said at the rally, according to reports.

He then connected his comments directly to the Nobel Peace Prize, saying, "I don't want anybody from Norway" because he did not receive the prize.

There was no indication that the Trump administration had introduced a new immigration policy specifically targeting Norwegian nationals after the remarks.

The comments came less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections and followed Trump's earlier criticism of the Nobel committee's decision.

Eide addressed the dispute in an interview with Norway's public broadcaster NRK on Monday.

"He knows very well that the Nobel Committee is independent," Eide said. "We have reminded him of that, in case anyone is wondering, and that is still the case."

Norway's government has made the same distinction since the prize was announced.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre congratulated Pillay after the Oct. 9 announcement and specifically noted that the Norwegian Nobel Committee is independent of both the Norwegian government and Norway's parliament.

Trump has repeatedly argued that his diplomatic efforts deserve recognition.

After the 2026 winner was announced, he called the decision a "disgraceful and embarrassing decision" and had previously described the failure to award him the prize as an "indelible stain" on Norway.

The Nobel Committee announced Pillay as the 2026 laureate on Oct. 9, honoring her "for her efforts to promote peace and international law."

The 85-year-old South African jurist previously served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and has held several prominent international judicial roles.

At Sunday's rally, Trump also dismissed Pillay as "a woman that nobody ever heard of," according to a transcript of his remarks.

The Nobel Peace Prize is selected by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. Its members are elected by Norway's parliament, but the committee operates independently when deciding the recipient.

That distinction is central to the dispute. Norway's government can congratulate a laureate and comment on the award, but it does not select the winner.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Pillay was recognized for her work advancing international law and accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize will be formally presented to Pillay in Oslo on Dec. 10.