Trump attacks Navi Pillay after her Nobel win and says he "settled eight wars"
Trump posted a long message on Truth Social late on 9 October attacking Pillay, saying few had heard of her, that she "hates Israel" and that he settled eight wars (CNN, The Hill, Ynet, Daily Beast, Gulf News). CNN reported his central claim is false. Pillay led a UN commission whose report concluded that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, which Israel rejected. One report said she answered with a joke at a conference in Nuremberg. The South African government has not been quoted in the reports DailyDrop saw.
A US president attacking a South African laureate adds to an already strained relationship between Washington and Pretoria, which has been in public disputes over the ambassador and other issues.
Expect more commentary from both governments. For South Africans the prize remains a point of national pride, whatever Washington says.
Supporters of Pillay say the attack shows political hostility to international justice, and note that the committee cited her record on war crimes.
Trump's supporters say he has ended or de-escalated several conflicts and was passed over for political reasons.
The post says more about Washington's view of the Nobel committee than about Pillay. What to watch is whether Ramaphosa or DIRCO responds, and whether Pillay's UN Gaza finding becomes part of the South Africa-US dispute.
DailyDrop South Africa edition No. 7 · Morning · SUN., OCT. 11, 2026