Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay jokes: 'If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump' - here's why

Jurist and former President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Navi Pillay joked about sharing her Nobel Peace Prize 2026 with US President Donald Trump after audience applauded her following the announcement of her award.

“If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump,” the 85-year-old South African jurist said, prompting laughter from those present.

She made the comment after learning that she had won the Nobel Peace Prize. This was while attending a legal gathering in Nuremberg, Germany. The moment was captured in a video shared by Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard on social media X.

Why Navi Pillay Joked About Donald Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize

Pillay made the remark as audience applauded her achievement. Her comment about Trump referred to the US president’s long-standing desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has repeatedly argued that he deserves the recognition, citing his claimed role in efforts to resolve international conflicts.

Pillay’s joke about potentially sharing the award came during the applause that followed the announcement of her win.

Navi Pillay Initially Questioned Whether the Nobel News Was Real

Pillay also expressed disbelief when she first heard about the award. She said she thought the announcement might be a joke as she said, “I said it must be a joke,” as quoted by The Journal.

Navi Pillay Wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for Promoting International Law

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Navi Pillay the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her efforts to promote peace and international law as the committee recognised her decades of work holding states and political leaders accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Trump Still Wants the Nobel Peace Prize After Machado’s Medal Gesture

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democratic rights and bring about a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela. But the award made headlines again in January when she handed her Nobel medal to Trump during a meeting at the White House.

Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, accepted the medal and thanked Machado for the gesture. The Norwegian Nobel Institute later clarified that a laureate can give away the physical medal, but the prize itself cannot be transferred to someone else.

Trump has argued that his diplomatic efforts to resolve international conflicts make him worthy of the honour. He has also criticised the Nobel Committee for overlooking him in previous years.

When asked about this year’s decision on Thursday, Trump told reporters, ““I don’t know what their decision is going to be,” adding, “They have a reputation for maybe not giving it to people like me,” as quoted by The Journal.