Navi Pillay jokes about sharing Nobel Peace Prize with Trump, Trump attacks laureate

The laureate’s light‑hearted comment sparked a sharp rebuke from Trump on his social platform.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:33:17 GMT

South African jurist Navi Pillay, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, joked that she might "share the prize with Trump" if applause continued, a remark posted on X after the award ceremony in Oslo. President Donald Trump later amplified a post by his former impeachment lawyer that denounced Pillay, reposting it to his 10 million followers.

What happened

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Pillay’s award on 9 October 2026 in Oslo. A video posted to X by Amnesty International’s Secretary‑General showed Pillay receiving applause in Nuremberg and saying, "If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump." The comment was made as she reflected on the surprise of the honor.

Within hours, at 7:58 a.m. GMT, Trump shared a Truth Social post written by David Schoen, his former impeachment lawyer. The post called Pillay "an unabashed hater of America and Israel" and accused her of conducting a "phony investigation" that labelled Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.

What the reports add

Gulf News reported the joke and noted Pillay’s reference to her work heading the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which last year issued a report describing genocide in Gaza. The Independent provided the full text of Schoen’s post, including his claim that the Nobel Committee had "shamed itself beyond repair" and his comparison to the 1994 award to Yasser Arafat.

What was said

"If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump," Pillay said in the X video, according to Gulf News.

David Schoen wrote on Truth Social, "Today the Nobel Committee shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned the once great Nobel Peace Prize by giving it to the UN’s Navi Pillay," as reported by the Independent.

Trump reposted Schoen’s message to his followers, the Independent noted.

How it came about

Pillay’s award follows her long career in international law, including leading the UN’s inquiry into Gaza, a role highlighted in Felo’s earlier coverage of her Nobel win (former UN rights chief Navi Pillay named 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate amid market speculation). The Nobel Committee received 287 nominations for the prize, with a quarter from organisations, as detailed in that earlier article.

Key facts

Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize (gulfnews.com)
Pillay joked about sharing the prize with Donald Trump if applause continued (gulfnews.com)
Donald Trump reposted a Truth Social message from David Schoen that attacked Pillay (independent.co.uk)
David Schoen called Pillay an "unabashed hater of America and Israel" and criticized the Nobel Committee (independent.co.uk)