Topline
María Corina Machado presented the Nobel Peace Prize she won last year to President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on Thursday, the president announced in a Truth Social post praising the Venezuelan Opposition leader, even though the Nobel Committee has said that the Peace Prize is not transferable.
Key Facts
After the White House Meeting, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today” and called her a “wonderful woman who has been through so much.”
The president said, “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,” and called the move a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The White House statement reiterated Trump’s post saying Machado “presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor.”
The plaque included a written note which read: “To President Donald J. Trump, In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength, Advancing Diplomacy, and Defending Liberty and Prosperity.”
The plaque mentions that the prize was awarded to Machado and say is has been presented to Trump as a “personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people” for his “principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
What Has The Nobel Committee Said About Transfering Peace Prizes?
Machado’s decision to present Trump with her Nobel doesn’t mean he becomes the recipient of the 2025 Peace Prize. In a statement issued last week, the Nobel Committee said: “A Nobel Prize can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others. Once the announcement has been made, the decision stands for all time.” The statement also appeared to respond to some criticism of the decision to pick Machado as the Peace Prize winner, saying: “As a matter of principle, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will not comment upon what the Peace Prize Laureates may say and do after they have been awarded the prize,” adding that the committees mandate is to only evaluate the work they had done up to the moment the prize is awarded.