Trump Attacks Nobel Peace Prize Decision at Syracuse Rally for Bruce Blakeman/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump used a Syracuse campaign rally to attack the Nobel Committee after it awarded the Peace Prize to South African jurist Navi Pillay. The extended complaints diverted attention from his effort to support Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Trump also defended his economic record despite polling showing widespread dissatisfaction with his handling of inflation, living costs and the Iran war.
Quick Look
- Nobel criticism: Trump argued that he deserved the Peace Prize and attacked the committee’s selection of Navi Pillay.
- Campaign purpose: The Syracuse rally was intended to support Bruce Blakeman’s bid for New York governor.
- Economic approval: An AP-NORC poll found 26% approved of Trump’s handling of the economy.
- Living costs: Only 17% approved of his handling of the cost of living.
- Iran was: The same poll found 71% disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict.
- Blakeman’s message: The Republican nominee maintains that he makes decisions independently of Trump.
- Hochul’s response: Her campaign mocked the rally and emphasized Blakeman’s relationship with the president.
Deep Look
Trump Attacks Nobel Committee After Navi Pillay Wins Peace Prize
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — President Donald Trump turned a Friday campaign rally in upstate New York into an extended complaint about the Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that the award should have gone to him.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee instead selected South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a former United Nations human rights chief, for her work advancing justice and accountability for war crimes and genocide.
Trump called the decision “an indelible stain on the country of Norway,” saying he “should have received the Nobel Peace Prize, but didn’t.”
He repeated his claim that he had ended eight wars. However, some of the situations he includes in that tally involved tensions rather than wars, and his contribution to resolving them has been disputed.
Trump disparaged Pillay as “a liberal person who works at the United Nations who nobody has ever heard of,” before directing further criticism at the committee.
“The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of radical ideologues who are anti-democracy and really enemies of civilization. And we will not forget, Norway, ”
Nobel Complaints Divert Attention From Blakeman Campaign
The rally at Syracuse’s Oncenter was intended to boost Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Instead, Trump devoted considerable time to the Nobel decision and other grievances.
He criticized Hochul, who is seeking her second full term, but also repeatedly attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose civil case against Trump and his business resulted in a court finding him liable for fraud.
An appeals court later overturned the large financial penalty while leaving the fraud finding intact.
During Friday’s rally, Trump called James “a dog.”
The appearance was part of a series of campaign stops aimed at energizing Republican supporters before the Nov. 3 elections, when the party’s congressional majorities will be at stake.
Iran War Weighs on Trump and Republican Midterm Prospects
Trump’s complaints about being passed over for the Peace Prize came as the war with Iran remained unresolved.
The conflict, launched by the United States and Israel, has lasted far beyond Trump’s initial prediction that it would end within weeks.
Its economic effects, particularly higher fuel prices, have become a political burden for Republicans facing dissatisfied voters.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last month and released Oct. 1 found that 71% of American adults disapproved of Trump’s handling of Iran. Only 28% approved.
Polling also indicates that voters hold Trump responsible for the high cost of living.
Trump Defends Economic Record Despite Weak Approval Ratings
Much of the rally’s first half focused on Trump’s argument that the economy was performing well, despite Americans’ concerns about affordability.
“The poverty rate has just reached its lowest level, the best number,” he said. “Lowest level in American history.”
He also praised employment figures and stock market performance.
“The job numbers are the best. The stock market has soared,” Trump said.
Those claims came 25 days before elections that will determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress.
The latest AP-NORC poll found that just 26% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s economic management, a new low and a decline from 32% in July.
Approval of his handling of the cost of living was lower still, at 17%.
Although gasoline prices had declined by a few cents per gallon over the preceding week, they remained approximately 15 cents higher than a month earlier, according to AAA.
Trump briefly interrupted his positive economic message to urge oil retailers to “start dropping their prices now.”
Syracuse Visit Continues Trump’s Focus on Supportive Audiences
Trump has generally avoided the most competitive political battlegrounds during his recent travels, concentrating instead on Republican states and friendly audiences.
That approach comes as Republican candidates worry that his declining popularity could damage their own prospects.
New York’s most closely watched House contest is several hours from Syracuse. In that race, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is defending his seat against Democratic challenger Cait Conley.
Friday’s event instead focused on Blakeman’s statewide campaign in a state that leans Democratic.
Blakeman Embraces Trump’s Tactics While Claiming Independence
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, has used campaign tactics associated with Trump.
He has suggested that Democrats could steal the election, emphasized fears about immigrant criminals and circulated AI-generated videos portraying New York as unsafe and unaffordable.
Trump invited him onto the stage Friday, but substantial portions of the event centered on the president’s own political standing and economic record.
On the campaign trail, Blakeman has presented himself as a moderate who can attract Democrats and independent voters.
He rejects the suggestion that his relationship with Trump will hurt him against Hochul and says he does not agree with the president on every issue.
“I am somebody who takes every issue and makes a decision based on good advice from smart people and common sense,” Blakeman said in an interview.
“I’ve proved my independence over and over and over again. I make my own decisions. I call my own shots,” he said.
Hochul Campaign Highlights Blakeman’s Trump Alliance
Hochul has made Blakeman’s ties to Trump a central campaign issue, following the broader Democratic strategy of linking Republican candidates to the president.
Her campaign hopes dissatisfaction with Trump will undermine Blakeman’s chances.
In a sarcastic statement, Hochul’s campaign described the Syracuse visit as “an extremely boring puppet show” and said she, like Trump, was encouraging voters to treat the president as though he were on the ballot.
“Why is Trump in Upstate New York?” the campaign asked. “Because Bruce Blakeman, for some reason, begged him to do so.”
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