Trump Says He Should Have Won a Pulitzer and Faults 2018 Russia Reporting Winners

President Donald Trump told supporters at a rally in South Carolina on Wednesday that he should have received a Pulitzer Prize for writing, and he criticized the journalists who won the award for covering the Russia investigation. India Today and Bhaskar English reported on the remarks.

The comments came as Trump again complained about not winning the Nobel Peace Prize, which he said he deserved for helping end several wars. The Pulitzer Board has already considered and turned down his past demand that the Russia-related prizes be withdrawn.

What Trump said at the rally

According to India Today, Trump spoke at T. Ed Garrison Arena in Pendleton, at an event meant to energize Republican supporters. He said he had not received either the Nobel or the Pulitzer, adding: “I should have gotten the Pulitzer for writing, too.”

He then said the people who did win the Pulitzer for their Russia coverage should not have, arguing that their reporting was wrong. India Today reported that he returned afterward to his complaint about the Nobel Peace Prize.

Both outlets said the remarks drew mockery on social media. Some users questioned his writing ability or his way of speaking. Those posts are opinions from individual commenters, not findings.

How the dispute got here

1987: Trump's best-known book, The Art of the Deal, was published, according to Bhaskar English. The outlet says he has written 19 books in total.
2016: The U.S. presidential election took place. Reporting on Russia's alleged interference in it, and on possible links between Russia and Trump's campaign, later became the focus of the prizes Trump disputes.
2018: The Pulitzer Prizes went to The New York Times and The Washington Post for their Russia-related reporting, Bhaskar English reported.
2022: After reviewing Trump's request that the awards be withdrawn, the Pulitzer Board rejected it. Bhaskar English said the board found no evidence that subsequent facts or investigations had discredited the award-winning reporting.
2026: The new Pulitzer class was announced across 25 categories, covering journalism, books, drama, music and a special citation, according to Bhaskar English.

The 2026 winners who covered his administration

Several 2026 prizes recognized reporting on the Trump administration, though the two outlets' lists differ in detail. India Today said The Washington Post was honored for coverage of the overhaul of federal agencies and its human impact. It said The Wall Street Journal was recognized for investigative stories that helped prompt the release of millions of Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein's network.

Both outlets listed the Chicago Tribune for coverage of the administration's immigration enforcement operation in Chicago and the response from residents. India Today added that the Pulitzer Board moved that award to the Local Reporting category.

Bhaskar English also listed The New York Times, for reporting on how Trump and his family benefited from business dealings, and Reuters, for reporting on the administration's use of presidential power and its actions against political opponents. India Today's account did not mention those two awards.

Why it matters

For readers, the main point is that this is a political remark, not a change in any prize. The Pulitzer recognizes work in journalism, books, drama and music, and the board's 2022 decision means the 2018 awards stand. Trump's statement that the winning reporting was wrong is his own claim. The board's stated finding was that later facts had not discredited the work.

The episode also shows how the president continues to dispute coverage of the Russia investigation years later, even as new Pulitzers recognize reporting on his administration. The sources do not report any formal nomination or action related to Trump's writing.

Around Prague, based on reporting by India Today, Moneycontrol.com, Bhaskar English

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