Donald Trump expressed his dissatisfaction at not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, as happened last year, saying yesterday (Friday) that he had “never heard” of the winner whose name was announced earlier today, Navi Pillay.
South African judge and human rights defender Navi Pillay won the award yesterday, in recognition of her efforts to address war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But Trump said during a rally in Syracuse (northeast): “The United States, represented by me, your president, should have won the Nobel Peace Prize, but that did not happen.” He added: “It is an indelible stain on Norway and those who made this shameful and embarrassing decision. The Nobel Peace Prize has been forever discredited by a handful of extremist ideologues who are hostile to democracy and are in fact enemies of civilization.
Trump has claimed, as he often does, to have ended eight wars, although some of the conflicts the president claims to have resolved were mere tensions, and his role in mitigating them has been disputed. Meanwhile, the war with Iran that he and Israel started - which Trump predicted would last only weeks - remains unresolved and a burden on his party as it faces disaffected voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump bitterly described Pillay as “a liberal person who works at the United Nations, and no one has ever heard of her before.”
Since his return to the White House in January 2025, Trump has not hidden his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize, but his war against Iran and his expansionist ambitions, as in the case of Greenland, his hard-line stance towards immigrants, and his attacks on multilateral action and the media, excluded him from the list of eligible candidates, according to experts in Oslo who spoke before announcing that Pillay won the prize, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
The award includes a gold medal, a certificate, and a sum of $1.2 million. Pillay joked about sharing her award with Trump, telling the audience who applauded her after the award was announced: “If you applaud a little more, I might share this award with Trump.”
This sarcastic phrase seemed to refer to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who presented her Nobel Prize gold medal to Trump after winning the award last year.
From the complex corridors of the law firm in California to the consulting seats in the Chinese capital, Beijing, all the way to the leadership of the media arm of the digital empire, “Truth Social,” Katie Zakaria charted a journey full of absolute loyalty to the “America First” movement, culminating this exciting political ascension by ascending to the most important platform in the world.
US President Donald Trump announced the appointment of this 42-year-old conservative lawyer and media personality as the new official spokeswoman for the White House, describing her as a “sincere and loyal supporter of the MAGA movement.”
Zakaria comes to this high-ranking position laden with challenges, succeeding former spokeswoman Carolyn Levitt, to become the new face of the American administration and the voice defending its policies against the strongholds of the global press. She becomes the sixth person to assume these duties during the two Trump administrations.
Western roots and academic career
The new spokesperson is of American and Sicilian origins, and always describes herself as a native Californian, having been born and raised in Los Angeles in 1984, in a conservative family environment filled with values of religious commitment and community service.
Zakaria received her entire university and higher education in her home state, specifically at the prestigious Pepperdine University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science and government in 2007, before pursuing her academic passion at the same institution to obtain a doctorate in law in 2011 from the Caruso School of Law, where she currently serves as a member of the Dean’s Council. In appreciation of her excellence. Zakariya is also married and has four children.
Zakaria's interest in American politics began at an early stage in her academic life, where she chaired the College Republicans Organization, worked as an intern at the Republican National Committee in 2006, and also spent an internship in the corridors of the White House during the administration of former President George W. Bush.
Professional stations and experience between media and law
Before ascending to the White House press podium, Zakaria moved between prominent political, legal, and media positions that gave her a wide network of relationships and solid practical experience. Since June 2026, she has served as the chief communications advisor for Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of the Trump-owned Truth Social platform. She also served as general legal advisor for the conservative Fix California, an organization founded by Richard Grenell, a close Trump ally and former special presidential envoy.
On the government side, she had experience in the US Department of Homeland Security as a spokeswoman for the department and deputy assistant secretary for public affairs under the leadership of former Secretary Kristi Noem.
Her experience was not limited to the American interior, but rather extended internationally, as she spent three years in the Chinese capital, Beijing, as an external advisor to the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation in a major law firm, and this was accompanied by a permanent appearance as a political and legal analyst on conservative networks, such as “Fox News” and “Newsmax,” in addition to her numerous contributions on the “CNN” network.
Successor to whom? Levitt leaves the podium for the television screens
Katie Zakaria takes over from Carolyn Leavitt, who made history as the youngest White House spokeswoman at twenty-seven years old when she took office in January 2025 with Trump's return to power.
Levitt left her position in late August, following the birth of her second child, to spend more time with her family, before it was recently announced that she would officially join Fox News as a political analyst and prominent on-screen contributor, starting next November.
Huge tasks at a critical time
Zakaria faces a busy schedule and daunting responsibilities that extend beyond the famous podium in the White House press briefing room.
Its primary tasks are focused on formulating the official speech of the US administration, managing daily briefings for media professionals, and constantly explaining the administration’s policies while publicly defending President Trump’s positions.
Her appointment comes at a time when the relationship between the Trump administration and major media outlets is witnessing intense judicial and political tensions, which requires her to lead the Communications Office with great efficiency and provide direct media advice to the President at a precise time that coincides with the ongoing preparations for the midterm congressional elections.
