Trump passed over for Nobel Peace Prize as he secures Gaza ceasefire deal

Happy Monday! It’s Danielle Battaglia with the latest edition of Under the Dome, focused on the actions of the Trump administration.

Sometimes adults will admit to their childhood memories of practicing acceptance speeches in front of their bathroom mirrors for whatever award they dreamed of winning: an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, the Stanley Cup (or maybe that was just me and Kelly Ripa).

For President Donald Trump, he’s been obsessed with winning a Nobel Peace Prize.

On Friday, Trump was passed over for that award again.

But his excitement was palpable on Truth Social Thursday night, when he shared a Washington Post opinion column titled, “Yes, Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.”

“Thank you Washington Post. Wow!!!,” he wrote.

Columnist Marc Thiessen credited Trump for brokering four Arab-Israeli peace accords during his first term and listed seven peace agreements Trump helped facilitate in his second term.

And then there was Trump’s announcement last week that he helped facilitate a plan between Hamas and Israel to stop fighting and release the remaining hostages from Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, including the bodies of hostages who didn’t survive.

Chapel Hill native Keith Siegel was among the original hostages, held and tortured by Hamas 484 days before being released.. His wife, Aviva Siegel, was also captured and released after 51 days.

If all goes well, the 20 hostages would be released right around the time this newsletter reaches you. Israel is expected to release a number of prisoners from Gaza in return.

The BBC published Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan and what is expected to take place.

Trump’s peace deal has garnered him praise from leaders across the world.

And Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican from Southern Pines, posted an AI-generated image of himself handing Trump the Nobel Peace Prize with onlookers including George Washington, Barack Obama and maybe, Benjamin Franklin. He later posted an updated version that cut Franklin, Washington and Obama from the image and leaves you guessing which founding father is included.

Government shutdown

In the meantime, Congress continues to be at a complete standstill in negotiations to reopen the government.

On Thursday, the Senate voted for the seventh time on a House resolution that would keep the government funded at its current levels until Nov. 21, giving the two parties more time to negotiate the nation’s budget.

Democrats didn’t budge from their demand for Republicans to agree to extend tax credits that would keep health care affordable, and to reverse Medicaid cuts found in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, before they vote on the budget.

The Senate left Thursday night, with plans not to return until 3 p.m. Tuesday, meaning the government will have been shut down at least 14 days by the time they return. The House canceled votes again Tuesday, saying that it will provide 48 hours notice for when members of Congress should expect to return to Washington.

Other stories we worked on:

• Several members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation decided not to collect their paychecks until the government reopens. I tell you who.
• Sen. Thom Tillis urges Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the Eastern Band of the Cherokee for their marijuana business. I report why.
• Sen. Thom Tillis said he’s struggling to understand some of President Donald Trump’s deployments of the National Guard.
• North Carolina Rep. Jarrod Lowery left the N.C. House and is joining the Trump administration. I tell you what he’s doing next.
• A former Wake Forest University trainer sues Rep. Pat Harrigan claiming she was fired over a post she made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Julia Coin reports.
• Federal employees out of work in North Carolina could apply for unemployment, but there’s a catch and Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan tells you what it is.
• Two prosecutors based in Raleigh are joining the Virginia-based case of former FBI Director James Comey, who is facing charges after being accused of making false statements to Congress. Kyle Ingram reports on how these lawyers ended up involved.
• Lenoir County Commissioner Eric Rouse entered the race against two other Republican primary candidates looking to unseat Democratic Rep. Don Davis in North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.

That’s it for now. Be kind to each other. And check back tomorrow for the Under the Dome podcast.

Also, if the government shutdown is having an impact on your or your family, we want to know about it. Tell us about it at this link.

If you have any feedback or tips for this edition of the newsletter feel free to reach out to me directly at dbattaglia@mcclatchydc.com.

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This story was originally published October 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

Danielle Battaglia

McClatchy DC

Danielle Battaglia is the congressional impact reporter for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, leading coverage of the impact of North Carolina’s congressional delegation and the White House. Her career has spanned three North Carolina newsrooms where she has covered crime, courts and local, state and national politics. She has won two McClatchy President’s awards and numerous national and state awards for her work.