'If he wins, it’s a dirtbag medal': Vinod Khosla rips Trump’s bid for India’s Nobel backing
Khosla’s remarks on X followed a New York Times investigation revealing Trump asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to nominate him for the Nobel after claiming credit for halting a May military standoff between India and Pakistan.
- Sep 1, 2025,
- Updated Sep 1, 2025 5:54 AM IST
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla torched Donald Trump’s rumored bid for a Nobel Peace Prize, calling it an act of “ego” and warning that if Trump ever wins, the award will become a “dirtbag medal.”
Khosla’s remarks on X followed a New York Times investigation revealing Trump asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to nominate him for the Nobel after claiming credit for halting a May military standoff between India and Pakistan. Pakistan, Trump claimed, had already agreed to back him.
Modi pushed back, telling Trump during a June 17 phone call that the ceasefire had “nothing to do” with U.S. mediation, and that India and Pakistan had resolved the issue directly. The Times reported Trump “largely brushed off” Modi’s response, but the refusal was pivotal.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri denied any discussion of U.S. mediation, affirming that India “never has, does not and will never” accept third-party intervention with Pakistan.
The rift deepened. Modi skipped a White House visit and the two leaders haven’t spoken since June 17. Trump later backed out of the Quad summit in India.
Despite the silence, Trump has continued to assert his peacemaker credentials. “No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,” he posted in June. Khosla wasn’t convinced. “If he ever wins the Nobel, I will stop caring about who wins the Nobel,” he wrote. “It will be desecrated.”
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla torched Donald Trump’s rumored bid for a Nobel Peace Prize, calling it an act of “ego” and warning that if Trump ever wins, the award will become a “dirtbag medal.”
Khosla’s remarks on X followed a New York Times investigation revealing Trump asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to nominate him for the Nobel after claiming credit for halting a May military standoff between India and Pakistan. Pakistan, Trump claimed, had already agreed to back him.
Modi pushed back, telling Trump during a June 17 phone call that the ceasefire had “nothing to do” with U.S. mediation, and that India and Pakistan had resolved the issue directly. The Times reported Trump “largely brushed off” Modi’s response, but the refusal was pivotal.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri denied any discussion of U.S. mediation, affirming that India “never has, does not and will never” accept third-party intervention with Pakistan.
The rift deepened. Modi skipped a White House visit and the two leaders haven’t spoken since June 17. Trump later backed out of the Quad summit in India.
Despite the silence, Trump has continued to assert his peacemaker credentials. “No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do,” he posted in June. Khosla wasn’t convinced. “If he ever wins the Nobel, I will stop caring about who wins the Nobel,” he wrote. “It will be desecrated.”