Maria Corina Machado says she presented Trump with her Nobel peace prize medal
Source: The Guardian
Thu 15 Jan 2026 16.54 EST
First published on Thu 15 Jan 2026 16.37 EST
The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has said she presented her gold Nobel peace prize medal to Donald Trump after meeting him in the White House, nearly a fortnight after he ordered the abduction of Venezuelas president, Nicolás Maduro. Machado, who received the award last year for her struggle against Maduros brutal, authoritarian state, told reporters she had done so in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to] our freedom. It was not immediately clear whether Trump had accepted the gift.
Earlier in the day the Nobel organizers posted on X: A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot. Machado, whose movement is widely believed to have beaten Maduro in Venezuelas 2024 election, was unexpectedly sidelined by Trump after US special forces troops captured her political rival in the early hours of 3 January.
Opposition supporters hoped Trump would recognise the 58-year-old conservative politician as Venezuelas new leader after Maduros downfall but instead he gave the nod to the dictators second-in-command, the vice-president Delcy Rodríguez, who was subsequently sworn in as acting president.
On Thursday, in an apparent attempt to win back Trumps favour, Machado told reporters she had presented her Norwegian medal to the US president during a private meeting. Earlier this week, the organisers of the Nobel peace prize announced the award could not be shared or transferred after Machado told Fox News she wished to share it with Trump. The decision is final and stands for all time, they said.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/maria-corina-machado-says-she-presented-trump-with-her-nobel-peace-prize-medal
Article updated.
Original article -
Last modified on Thu 15 Jan 2026 16.41 EST
The Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, has said she presented Donald Trump with her Nobel peace prize medal during their meeting on Thursday.
She did not answer reporters questions as to whether he accepted it.
More details soon
BlueWaveNeverEnd
(13,006 posts)Grokenstein
(6,253 posts)Just like that Purple Heart. He just wants to smear his filth on everything.
popsdenver
(1,645 posts)from winning THE NOBEL Peace prize, and winning a NOBEL Peace Prize MEDAL.
Hell, a friend of mine was a recipient lately of a Nobel Peace Prize Medal for his work in Syria when Assad dropped poison chemical bombs on his own people who were rebelling against him. (BTW: Putin supplied him with the Chemical bombs)
My friend documented for the U.N. AND the HAGUE, that in fact he did drop them, and had many more, and that they were supplied by Putin/Russia.
I think that would make Assad and Putin, BOTH guilty of International War Crimes, and Crimes Against Humanity.........
And Both in violation of the Geneva Convention.......
hlthe2b
(112,919 posts)He is incapable of feeling shame, apparently, but once he croaks (hopefully soon), I hope this is brought up and used to humiliate all his children, grandchildren, and anyone who supported him for time immortal. Obviously it is but one thing that is beyond disgusting, but really symbolic of the rest.
Ocelot II
(129,272 posts)despite the NPP Committee having emphasized that the award can't be transferred to any other person or revoked. And that unfortunate act of fealty on Machado's part won't help her or her movement a bit. And he'll probably have a fake of the award certificate printed up with his name on it.
kerouac2
(1,435 posts)So pathetic.
Like dictators putting a bunch of bs medals on their chest.
viva la
(4,508 posts)He's dumped her for Maduro's own lackey.
PJMcK
(24,785 posts)Its unfathomable what she hopes to gain but her pointless act of sycophantic obsequiousness belittles her self, her accomplishments as well as diminishing the value of her award. Truly a pointless and stupid act undeserving of any respect.
I hope she kept the $1.1 million although Im sure Trump would want that, too.
By the way, of course he accepted her medal just as he accepted the Purple Heart.
TomSlick
(12,885 posts)She played the only card she had for the good of her country.
Ocelot II
(129,272 posts)It was kind of a hail-Mary pass she probably hopes will get Trump's support in installing her in Venezuela's government apparatus, but it will fail. Trump has better control over the existing regime, minus Maduro. But she didn't give away the Peace Prize itself, because she can't. Per Nobel's rules it isn't transferrable. She can give away the medallion and the prize money but she's stuck with the prize itself.
Marcuse
(8,816 posts)lapfog_1
(31,703 posts)That she WANTS to be President of Venezuela sooo bad that she gives Trump a hunk of metal ( it isn't the Peace Prize, as the Nobel committee has stated at least TWICE ) so that she would be installed as the new leader is just fucking nuts.
If they ever have free and fair elections, monitored by international judges, and she runs and wins... then she can lead the country.
But it should be up to the Venezuelan people, not Trump.
calimary
(89,129 posts)Deminpenn
(17,304 posts)Everyone knows the way to Trump's heart is to give him something. Usually it's money, but in this case a medal.
Escurumbele
(4,028 posts)going to hang the medal in the oval office to show it to everyone who comes in, but Machado will remain under the bus.
I do believe it would have shown more character on her part to not give him the medal, and to deal with him knowing who he is.
Escurumbele
(4,028 posts)Of course, suffice to say that the buffoon has no shame, shows it everyday, and underlines the fact by accepting something that does not belong to him.
Machado had to prove, by not giving him the medal, that she knows who she is dealing with, he already threw her under the bus because he is not willing and doesn't know how to deal with honest people, reason why he is aligning himself with the regime.
It is a real shame she did that, but she is not pathetic.
PJMcK
(24,785 posts)My view is she debased herself in front of Trump and will receive nothing in return. I consider her act pathetic.
You're entitled to your own opinion.
chelsea0011
(10,207 posts)Bring your papers.
tanyev
(48,705 posts)Are you f**king kidding me? OF COURSE he accepted it!
Effing useless media morons.
Javaman
(65,185 posts)hope you are happy Nobel society, you just fucked yourselves. you're medal is worthless now.
littlemissmartypants
(31,744 posts)The pure stupidity and hubris such action broadcasts, the apparent belief that a psychopath wouldn't fuck you over any less than everyone else.
Neither of them are presidential material and the Nobel Committee has lost credibility thanks to the whole charade. The prize is forever tainted.
Response to littlemissmartypants (Reply #15)
Deminpenn This message was self-deleted by its author.
littlemissmartypants
(31,744 posts)Jack Sh¡t from a psychopath and especially not from him now that he's got what he wants. If anything, she just set herself up as as target.
My take is as perfectly legit as yours. No need to gaslight via trivializing. We just disagree. Tremendously.
If anyone reading this doesn't know how to identify a psychopath here's a great place to start:
1. Aggressive, callous, and cunning
2. Complete absence of conscience and empathy
3. Very adept at manipulating others
4. Willingness to engage in immoral, criminal conduct
5. Willingness to take what they want and do as they please, regardless of who is hurt or wronged
6. Deceptive ability to appear outwardly benevolent
7. Deceptive ability to behave in superficially charming ways to hide purely selfish motives
8. Willingness to use intimidation and violence to control others in order to satisfy their own needs
9. Willingness to intentionally violate the basic inherent human rights of others
10. Complete absence of any sense of guilt or remorse for the harm their actions have caused to others
11. Rationalization of their own immoral behavior
12. Will attempt to lay blame upon someone else for their own conduct
13. Denial, will deny their own wrongdoing outright
14. Utter contemptuousness toward the feelings and desires of their fellow beings
15. Pathological lying, will say anything without any concern for truth to advance their own hidden agendas
16. Ablity to feign [fake] normal human emotions and empathy
17. Distorted sense of the consequences of their actions
18. Total failure to accept any responsibility for their own socially irresponsible ways
19. Strong bellef that they will never be brought to justice for their criminal behavior
Also, here's a helpful chart for identifying gaslighting.

Hey Joe
(433 posts)Leave it to Tr💩mp to accept an honor achieved by the sacrifice and hard work of another when he embodies none of the qualities that honor represents.
And then brag about it!
🤯🫣
Clouds Passing
(7,102 posts)Ocelot II
(129,272 posts)BidenRocks
(2,822 posts)ananda
(34,491 posts)There were so many other much better candidates.
Srkdqltr
(9,404 posts)bluestarone
(21,287 posts)I cannot, just cannot understand any reason he would take a worthless award. ( to him that is) I also gotta wonder WHY she would give away this award? Evidently it ment NOTHING to her.
Ocelot II
(129,272 posts)And she certainly knows that giving him the medallion doesn't mean she gave him the prize itself, because per the Nobel Committee it's not transferrable. She probably thought offering him the medallion would give him enough of a stiffy that he'd be more helpful to her in dealing with what remains of the Madura regime.
mahatmakanejeeves
(68,369 posts)C Moon
(13,492 posts)Whats next? A Super Bowl ring?
(sorry. That wasnt meant to reply to your comment)
Marie Marie
(10,928 posts)He has the medal - he thinks he earned it and deserved it so - "He is a Nobel Prize Winner". He will repeat it over and over and He and the Rubes will make that a historical fact. God Damn his enablers and screw her for sucking up with the very last thing he deserved.
travelingthrulife
(4,516 posts)csusan
(64 posts)In the darkest, darkest part of his being he knows he didn't win it. All of the US and the rest of the world knows he didnt win it
I just can't get upset about this when there is so much going on to get upset about.
I keep remembering that Obama truly won it. Giving it to Trump doesn't change that and it never will. And Trump knows it.
twodogsbarking
(17,626 posts)Ocelot II
(129,272 posts)twodogsbarking
(17,626 posts)delisen
(7,235 posts)Does she approve of Trump keeping the regime in place or is everything Venezuela just theater now?
Well, we know too well what weirdness ensues when a people lose control of their government.
DJ Synikus Makisimus
(1,198 posts)She's said to be associated with right-wing death squads in Venezuela, though I have no definite proof thereof. Hugo Chavez rode a wave of resentment against people like her.
Initech
(107,576 posts)Bristlecone
(11,013 posts)I am sure.
I am not sorry to put that image in your heads. Sorry.
He is more disgusting than that visualization and needs to be thought of in the lowest, most shallow form possible.
JPPaverage
(623 posts)Just like everything else trump is associated with. Cheap bullshit, honors given but not earned. I'd say the Nobel committee should be more careful about whom they award it to next year.
Maybe Sheldon Cooper.
cos dem
(939 posts)She didn't seem like she was really worth it in the beginning. Is this really the best they could do?
By her giving it to someone who clearly doesn't deserve it, she insults herself, debases the award, and makes the Nobel committee look like idiots.
purr-rat beauty
(1,007 posts)Participation trophies at a booger flicking contest more genuinely earned
mcar
(45,711 posts)calimary
(89,129 posts)So he could share it??????
And how will that work??? Does he have permanent custody of it now, even though its supposedly shared???? I think we all know he wont give it back.
O. M. G.
Seems to me thats cause for revoking that prize and awarding it to somebody else.
SunSeeker
(57,629 posts)Skittles
(169,764 posts)they are both disgusting
denvine
(845 posts)bmichaelh
(1,090 posts)Erich Fromm, the German-American psychoanalyst, wrote a book called To Have or To Be?
Fromm contrasts having and being.
Trump has sought his life in having.
Having a Nobel Peace Prize that Trump was not awarded does not mean he is a peacemaker.
Fromm, also wrote a book called The Heart of Man. In it he described malignant narcissism.
He may have been the one to originate the term.
As Wikipedia says:
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(133,136 posts)The slob never had to work for anything.
VanceFan
(121 posts)Trump is pathetic for accepting it, and she clearly should never have received one if she thinks Trump is worthy of one. In this case, it's as meaningless as the FIFA Peace medal.
tblue37
(68,216 posts)Bristlecone
(11,013 posts)In return. Hes that fed in the head.
tirebiter
(2,670 posts)orangecrush
(28,695 posts)niyad
(129,794 posts)they thinking even awarding it to her in the first place. There are actual living, breathing, commited peace activists everywhere. But then, they awarded warmknger henry k with one. . The award will probably be seen as completely irrelevant from now on.
Crowman2009
(3,416 posts)Figarosmom
(9,889 posts)"his" Peace Prize. Any visitors wherever he hangs it will get an earful of how he's stopped so many wars and got the Nobel Peace Prize for it.
He's delusional and insane.
Time for another cognitive test.
Botany
(76,462 posts)The medal can change hands but the title can not.
Kid Berwyn
(23,165 posts)to satisfy the deranged cravings of a hollow man.