President Donald Trump still refuses to move past the Nobel Peace Prize losses. After being passed over again this year, he continues to nurse the grudge, repeatedly bringing up the perceived slight to his supporters.
At a rally in Michigan over the weekend, Trump turned his sights on Norway, directly blaming the nation for his failure to secure the prestigious honor.
Unfazed by how the selection process actually works, he went in on the country during a speech—and took his rhetoric a step further.
While he spent years publicly denying that he called developing nations “sh–hole countries,” he is no longer trying to hide the insult.
Trump also questioned why the United States accepts immigrants from countries such as Somalia, Haiti and Yemen rather than welcoming more people from Norway and Sweden. He then used a new rendition of the slur. But his attack on Norway took an especially petty turn when he blamed the country for his failure to receive the peace prize, even though an independent committee, not the Norwegian government, selects the winner.
“Why do we always take people from sh*thouse countries? Why can’t we take people from Norway or Sweden?” Trump asked, according to video circulating on social media.
But as he paused to consider it, he abruptly had a change of heart about Norway—declaring that because he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer wanted anyone coming into the country from there.
Trump’s obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize was unmistakable as he vented about stopping “eight wars” without getting his due credit. What compounded the humiliation of losing was his absolute confidence heading into the announcement.
“When they announced that they’ll be announcing a couple of weeks ago I said to our first Lady First Lady I get the Nobel prize in two weeks and I’ll be an honor and I feel much better about saving all those lives,” Trump said. Then he admitted to Melania, “that’ll be a great honor to get the Nobel peace prize next week when they announce it.”
Having assured Melania that the honor was essentially guaranteed, missing out on the prize left him nursing a deep political and personal sting. At a recent rally, Trump turned his sights directly on Norway, unleashing a fresh tirade over the decision to mask that humiliation.
“I’m not in love with Norway. Frankly, Norway sucks,” Trump said, drawing chuckles from MAGA supporters in the crowd.
He followed up with another swipe: “Norway has become a sh*thouse country actually.”
Trump then shrugged and looked toward Dr. Mehmet Oz, who stood near the stage as the crowd reacted.
“I just speak the truth, Oz,” Trump said, according to Mediaite.
The outburst revived memories of a controversy from January 2018, when reports emerged that Trump had used the same smear during a private Oval Office meeting about immigration. At the time, he denied using the language, saying his remarks were tough but that the reported wording wasn’t what he said.
Trump’s latest comments left little room for similar denials, and social media users quickly pointed out the irony of his earlier response.
One person on X remarked: “He’s so far gone he can’t even get his insults right. It’s shi*hole.”
Journalist Jim Acosta recalled confronting Trump about the original controversy and described how the White House reacted when the president was asked about it.
“When it was reported he expressed this privately during the first term, I asked him whether he said it. He wouldn’t fess up. And his aides screamed for us to get out of the Oval. He’s just letting the Klan talk rip now.”
A third reaction focused on what Trump’s language says about the country under his leadership.
“Man it says a lot about the USA to have a president like this. Tells you almost everything you need to know.”
The 2018 controversy erupted as lawmakers were trying to negotiate an immigration agreement that would protect hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation while strengthening border security. Trump reportedly questioned why the United States should accept more immigrants from Haiti and African nations, asking instead for more people from countries such as Norway.
Democrats and Republicans alike condemned the remarks. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer called Trump’s comments “racist and a disgrace.” Republican Rep. Mia Love of Utah, whose parents immigrated from Haiti, described the remarks as “unkind, divisive, elitist and [contrary to] our nation’s values.” Love called on Trump to apologize to the American people and the countries he had insulted.
Afterward, Trump described himself as the “least racist person that you’ve ever met.”
Earlier, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told Trump that an independent committee based in Norway awards the Nobel Peace Prize, not the country’s government.
That distinction has not stopped Trump from directing his frustration at the country itself.
Sunday’s rally included other moments that veered from political grievances into personal commentary. Trump said he did not mind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) “too much,” an unusually favorable assessment of the progressive lawmaker compared with his attacks on other Democrats.
He also renewed his demand that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who was born in Somalia, resign from Congress as a federal fraud investigation involving her continues. Trump again attacked Somalia, claiming it had no functioning government and accusing its people of killing others and ransoming ships.
The president also praised rapper Nicki Minaj’s appearance aboard Air Force One, complimenting her “beautiful a–” after the pro-MAGA performer took part in an impromptu, staged job interview for the White House press secretary position.
