Growing speculation that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney — a former central banker who led both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England — could be a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize has drawn sharp reactions from allies of U.S. President Donald Trump, as the trade conflict between the two neighboring countries continues.

According to ABC News, Carney's rising international profile and his ongoing disagreements with Trump over tariffs, trade and Canadian sovereignty have made his possible nomination a hot topic. The Norwegian Nobel Committee's secret shortlist will be announced on October 9. The prize, first awarded in 1901, is presented in Oslo, and its nomination records are kept sealed for 50 years.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham criticized the speculation in a post on X, writing: "His own country is under massive economic strain, but he's a Nobel contender because he picked a fight with Trump. Astounding."

Political commentator Ari Goldkind responded to the ABC News article in similar terms, writing: "Oh my god this is so insanely dumb. A Nobel Prize for Trump Delusional Syndrome while Canada on Carney's watch declines more and more."

The comments come against the backdrop of intensifying trade disputes between Carney and Trump. The United States has imposed tariffs as high as 50 percent on billions of dollars' worth of Canadian goods, prompting Canada to retaliate. Trump has urged Canadian leaders to "fall in line" or face consequences that could be "far WORSE" than the current tariffs.

The Nobel speculation is particularly notable given Trump's repeated assertions that he deserves the award. In July, he claimed that he "should have won that award more than anyone else."

Carney, meanwhile, has garnered praise for his foreign-policy approach. New York University professor Scott Galloway referred to him as "the leader that Europe has been waiting for over the past 20 years" and predicted that Carney would be named Time Person of the Year, as the AP reported. Fareed Zakaria similarly highlighted that Carney has equipped countries navigating a less predictable United States with a guiding framework for forming new alliances.

Carney's international profile rose significantly after his speech at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he urged middle-power nations to collaborate instead of caving to the influence larger countries. "We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition," Carney said in the speech, which received a standing ovation.

Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University, said Trump "would be furious" if Carney were to secure the Nobel Prize, while Nelson Wiseman, an emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, warned that a Carney victory could make U.S.-Canada relations "rockier than they are."

For now, the possibility of Carney winning the Nobel Peace Prize remains speculative, as the committee keeps its deliberations and shortlist under wraps.