Venezuelan Opposition Leader Gives Nobel Peace Prize Medal to Trump

Almost two weeks after U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

During the meeting, Machado presented Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal she received in 2025. The two posed for a photo in the Oval Office, standing before the Declaration of Independence, as Trump clasped the framed medal with a wide smile.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump later wrote: “It was my Great Honor to meet Maria Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”

Trump’s desire for the Nobel Peace Prize is well known. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, he said, “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize. I ended seven wars.”

Machado was awarded the prize for her work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and advocating a peaceful political transition, according to the Nobel Committee. She told reporters the meeting was “excellent” and said she gave Trump the medal as “a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”

Under Nobel Foundation rules, however, prizes cannot be transferred. The Nobel Peace Centre reiterated this position on X, stating, “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”

Despite the gesture, Trump has ruled out supporting Machado as Venezuela’s next leader, saying after Maduro’s capture that she lacks sufficient domestic backing. Instead, he has thrown his support behind Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, sworn in as interim president.