Norway has responded to Donald Trump’s crude attack on the country with a tongue-in-cheek showcase of some of its most spectacular public toilets.
The US president intensified his criticism of Norway on Sunday, branding it a “sh*thouse country” after failing to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
While discussing immigration and recent unrest in France, Trump said he would welcome people from some nations but not Norway “because I didn’t get the Nobel Prize… So I don’t want anybody from Norway.”
He made the remarks at a political rally in Michigan ahead of the midterm elections, where he also suggested Norwegian immigrants were not welcome in the United States.
Trump further declared that “Norway sucks,” directing his anger at the Nobel committee, which is headquartered in Oslo, for declining to award him the Peace Prize.
“I’m not in love with Norway. Frankly, Norway sucks. Norway has become a sh*t house country, actually,” he said. The president has previously used similar language to describe Haiti, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
Norway’s tourism board responded this week by highlighting a selection of the country’s most picturesque lavatories.
“Are these the world’s best sh*t houses?” Visit Norway asked on its website, adding the slogan: “Norway makes sh*t houses great again!”
A collection of striking designer loos were featured, many boasting breathtaking views of fjords, rivers, waterfalls and some of Norway’s most spectacular landscapes
Visit Norway said that along 18 scenic routes across the country, leading architects had been commissioned to transform the roadside toilet into an attraction in its own right
Beside images of the award-winning facilities, the tourism agency wrote: “These toilets are worth a visit, both when you really have to go – and when you don’t.”
Visit Norway explained that architects had been commissioned to reinvent roadside restrooms along 18 scenic routes, turning them into destinations in their own right.
The resulting collection features bold designs set against views of fjords, rivers, waterfalls and other dramatic Norwegian landscapes.
Among the highlights are a wave-inspired restroom at a Helgeland rest stop, a solar-powered and “Instagram-worthy” facility at the Utsikten viewpoint, and Senja Island’s distinctive triangular “golden toilet.”
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide addressed Trump’s comments earlier this week, telling national broadcaster NRK that the president “knows very well that the Nobel Committee is independent.”
“We have reminded them of that, if anyone is wondering, and that is still the case,” he added.
Barth Eide appeared to characterize the president’s profanity-laced outburst as campaign rhetoric rather than a serious threat to diplomatic ties.
He stressed that Norway placed “great importance” on its relationship with the United States, while adding that Trump was “in the midst of an election campaign that perhaps isn’t going very well for his party, and that leads him to say a lot of things.”
Earlier this month, Trump described the decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize as an “indelible stain” on Norway.
Washington insiders have said Trump is “obsessed” with securing the award. Barack Obama won it during the first year of his presidency for efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and promote a world without nuclear weapons.
According to aides in the Trump administration, senior State Department officials remain aware of the president’s fixation. One source said Trump views the prize as “the ultimate capstone to how history will remember him.”
Only two other sitting US presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Norway, which has a population of around 5.6 million, has responded to the insults with considerably more humor than outrage.
Norway’s tourism board this week showcased on their website some of the country’s most beautiful lavatories
Alongside pictures of award-winning toilets, the board adding: ‘These toilets are worth a visit, both when you really have to go – and when you don’t’
Supported by substantial oil and natural gas revenues, Norway ranks among the world’s wealthiest nations by GDP per person. Its sovereign wealth fund reported a record profit of 1.75 trillion Norwegian crowns ($184.3 billion) during the first half of 2026.
Norway also outperforms the United States on several key measures, including life expectancy, infant mortality, adult obesity, GDP per capita, perceived corruption, press freedom and overall happiness. Norwegians ranked sixth in the World Happiness Report, compared with Americans in 23rd place.
The figures also undercut Trump’s suggestion that Norway should worry about its citizens moving to America. In reality, the flow of migration is stronger in the opposite direction.
Data from the Norwegian government shows that more Americans moved to Norway in 2025 than Norwegians relocated to the United States.
A total of 1,529 American citizens settled in Norway last year, while 1,005 Norwegians moved to the US.
“Dear President Trump – a little perspective from Norway,” Norwegian resident Magne Bjella wrote on X. “Please don’t lose any sleep worrying about whether we are coming to America. I’m very happy here.”
Bjella cited several reasons for his satisfaction, including lifelong healthcare, time for parents, subsidized childcare, accessible higher education and support during illness.
