During a campaign rally in Syracuse, New York, former President Donald Trump publicly criticized the Nobel Committee following their announcement that Navi Pillay, a former International Criminal Court judge, had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump referred to Pillay as a “mystery person,” stating that he had never heard of the recipient and suggesting that the public was similarly unfamiliar with her work.

In addition to questioning the committee’s choice, Trump voiced his own grievances regarding the Nobel Peace Prize process. He characterized the committee’s decision to exclude him from consideration as “disgraceful and embarrassing.” The comments were made shortly after the Nobel Committee announced Pillay as the winner, citing her leadership in a UN inquiry. While Trump focused on the perceived obscurity of the winner and his own lack of an award, he did not elaborate on the specific merits of the committee's decision or the details of the UN inquiry Pillay led.