Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insisted President Donald Trump’s push to seize Greenland had nothing to do with his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, even though the president himself cited the snub in a text to Norway’s prime minister.

Bessent brushed off the idea that Trump’s Nobel disappointment played any role in U.S. efforts to take control of the self-governing Danish territory, framing Greenland as a long-standing goal.

That characterization directly conflicts with Trump’s own explanation.

In a text message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, revealed by PBS on Monday, Trump wrote that he no longer felt an “obligation to think purely of Peace” after missing out on the award, an honor decided by an independent committee, not the Norwegian government.

Trump, for his part, denied that the prize influenced his position on Greenland while speaking with reporters Monday. Even so, he repeatedly accused Norway of controlling the Nobel process, all while insisting he didn’t care about the honor.

“What I care about is saving lives. And I think I’ve saved tens of millions of lives,” Trump said, once again claiming, without evidence, that he was responsible for ending eight wars during his first year back in office.