Machado Presents Nobel to Trump in Oval Office Meeting
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, met United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 15. During their meeting at the Oval Office in Washington, DC, she presented him with her award.
The event follows recent US military action that deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month. It also comes after Trump's repeated public statements about deserving the Nobel Peace Prize. He has claimed credit for stopping various international conflicts during his year in power.
Trump's Response and Social Media Post
President Trump expressed his appreciation on his social media platform, Truth Social. He wrote, "It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. 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!"
Can the Nobel Peace Prize Be Officially Transferred?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has clearly stated that Nobel Prizes cannot be officially transferred by recipients. The committee maintains that it "will not comment upon what the Peace Prize Laureates may say and do after they have been awarded the prize."
The committee cites the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which declare that "No appeals may be made against the decision of a prize-awarding body with regard to the award of a prize." This means the original award remains with the designated laureate regardless of any physical transfer of the medal.
Historical Precedents of Prize Refusals and Transfers
Acts involving refusal or transfer of Nobel Prizes remain rare throughout history. Machado herself drew a historical parallel to an 1825 event. French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette, who helped Americans fight British colonial rulers, sent a gold medal featuring George Washington's image to South American independence hero Simón Bolívar.
Machado described her action as "a sign of the brotherhood between the people of the US and the people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom against tyranny."
Other notable instances include:
- Ernest Hemingway entrusted his 1954 Nobel Literature Prize medal to the Catholic Church in Cuba, where he spent over two decades. The medal was even stolen briefly years later.
- Jean Paul Sartre declined the 1964 Nobel Literature Prize, stating he always refused official distinctions and did not want to be "institutionalised."
- Le Duc Tho, the Vietnamese revolutionary leader, refused the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize he was jointly awarded with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Tho cited Kissinger's violation of the truce as his reason.
The Kissinger-Tho award proved particularly controversial. When Hanoi was bombed at Christmastime in 1972 on Kissinger's orders, Le Duc Tho agreed to an armistice. However, when he received the Peace Prize with Kissinger in autumn 1973, he refused it because his counterpart had violated the truce. Two of the five Norwegian Nobel Committee members later resigned in protest against this award.
Why Did Machado Present Her Nobel to Trump?
Analysts view Machado's action as an attempt to appeal to the US government, which has become a kingmaker in post-Maduro Venezuela. The US military recently unseated President Nicolas Maduro and now communicates with Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who served as Vice President in Maduro's administration.
US media reports indicate Trump was not initially in favor of supporting Machado, stating she was "not respected" and lacked popular support in Venezuela. Despite this, Machado has consistently praised the US government and its actions.
A photograph from Thursday's meeting shows Trump holding a framed declaration that names him and expresses gratitude for his "Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength, Advancing Diplomacy, and Defending Liberty and Prosperity." The text states the medal was "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."
The Norwegian Nobel Committee maintains its position that while physical medals might change hands, the official recognition and status of Nobel laureates cannot be transferred. The committee respects laureates' autonomy in their post-award actions while upholding the integrity of the Nobel Prize system.
