Trump presented with Nobel Peace Prize, but it's still not his, officials say

Venezuela's Machado presents Trump with Nobel Peace Prize medal

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented President Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal at Thursday’s meeting at the White House. She noted Trump’s “unique commitment with our freedom.”

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize when they met in the White House Thursday, but the prize is still not his, according to the Nobel Institute. 

Trump, who met with Machado two weeks after the U.S. captured and ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, has openly coveted a Nobel Peace Prize for years. Machado was awarded the prize in October for her efforts to achieve democracy in Venezuela amid Maduro’s repressive authoritarian regime. 

Why did Machado give Trump her Nobel Peace Prize? 

What they're saying:

"I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done so "as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom."

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"It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today," Trump said on his social media site Truth Social. "She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!"

The White House later posted a photo of Machado standing next to Trump in the Oval Office as he holds the medal in a large frame. A text in the frame reads, "Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela."

President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado pose for a photo with Machado's Nobel Peace Prize medal at the White House on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (The White House/X)

The other side:

Days before Machado gave Trump her medal, the Nobel Peace Prize committee issued a statement to make clear that the Nobel Peace cannot be given away. 

"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time," the statement reads. 

Officials in Norway, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, called Machado’s gesture "incredibly embarrassing."

"The awarding of the award is now so politicized and potentially dangerous that it can easily legitimize an anti-peace prize development," Raymond Johansen, a Norwegian lawmaker and former governing mayor of Oslo, said on Facebook. 

Why does Trump want a Nobel Peace Prize?

Dig deeper:

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize, often claiming that he’s ended "seven wars" as president. He vowed to quickly stop the fighting between Russia and Ukraine and end the war between Israel and Hamas when he took office for a second term. Neither of those wars have ended. 

Will Machado lead Venezuela? 

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Big picture view:

Even if it’s purely symbolic, Machado’s gift to Trump was extraordinary given that Trump has effectively sidelined Machado in the wake of Maduro's ouster. 

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Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she "doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country." Her party is widely believed to have won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.

What's next:

Trump has signaled his willingness to work with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro’s second in command, as the U.S. seeks to take over the country's oil reserves. 

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Machado told them that "if there’s not some progress, real progress towards a transition in power, and/or elections in the next several months, we should all be worried."

"She reminded us that Delcy Rodríguez is, in many ways, worse than Maduro," he added.