Nobel Peace Center Speaks Out After Venezuelan Opposition Leader Hands Nobel Prize to Trump

For years, Donald Trump has been vocal about deserving the Nobel Peace Prize. Just yesterday, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado actually gave him the medal she won earlier this year during a visit. But is that even possible? The Nobel Peace Center stepped in with an unusual statement to clear up if Trump can really claim it.

Trump’s been pushing for the Nobel for a while now. As the 2025 prize announcement approached, the U.S. President amped up his claims, saying he stopped “eight wars” and should be recognized for it.

Back in October, he took shots at former President Barack Obama for getting the prize in 2009.

“He got it for basically nothing,” Trump remarked. “Obama didn’t even know why he won it. He just got elected and they handed it over, even though he wrecked the country.”

Trump went on, calling Obama a lousy president and insisting his own 2024 win was way bigger than Obama’s in 2008.

But Trump didn’t snag the 2025 Nobel. Right after his complaints about Obama, the Norwegian Nobel Committee revealed María Corina Machado as the winner.

Trump and His Quest for the Nobel

Trump wasn’t thrilled. He called it a total “embarrassment” for Norway, though the country itself isn’t involved in the decision.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever deserved the Nobel more than me,” he fumed.

Fast forward, and it looks like Trump sort of got his wish. During Machado’s White House visit on Thursday, she handed over the medal.

Why? It’s not entirely clear, but some speculate it’s her way of buttering up Trump, showing goodwill so he’ll collaborate with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez. A picture from an event shows Trump speaking at a casino resort.

Machado Presents the Prize to Trump

“I gave the U.S. President the Nobel Peace Prize medal,” Machado told reporters post-meeting, explaining it was “in recognition of his strong dedication to our freedom.”

Trump later posted on social media that she’d left the medal with him.

He described her as an amazing woman who’s endured a lot, and said she gave him the prize for his efforts. “What a beautiful sign of respect. Thanks, María!” he wrote.

Trump’s MAGA supporters are cheering him on for “getting” the Nobel, but plenty of others think it’s downright weird.

Former U.S. Embassy official in London, Lewis Lukens, told NBC that any other president would politely turn it down.

“If it was someone else, they’d say, ‘Thanks, but this is yours—I can’t take it,’” Lukens said. “But with Trump? Yeah, I can see him keeping it and saying he earned it.”

Nobel Committee: Prize Can’t Be Revoked, Shared, or Passed On

So, can Machado really just give away her Nobel? About a week back, the Nobel Committee put out a statement explaining the rules.

They rarely do this, but many see it as a direct shutdown of any backdoor Nobel for Trump.

“We get lots of questions about whether a laureate’s status is permanent,” the group posted on their site on January 9.

“The answer is straightforward: Once awarded, the Nobel can’t be taken back, split, or given to someone else. It’s set in stone forever.”

They noted Machado earned it for her relentless push for democracy in Venezuela, fighting against the Maduro regime’s blocks on her 2024 candidacy, and working toward a peaceful shift from dictatorship.

A photo from a press conference in Oslo features Machado and the committee chair.

Nobel Peace Center’s Unusual Statement

Right after Trump got the medal from Machado, the Nobel Peace Center posted a rare comment on X.

They described the medal: It’s 6.6 cm across, 196 grams, gold-plated, with Alfred Nobel’s portrait on one side and three figures symbolizing unity on the other—a design that’s stayed the same for 120 years.

They mentioned that medals have been passed along before, like when Dmitry Muratov auctioned his for over $100 million to aid Ukrainian refugees.

But they wrapped up firmly: “Still, as the Norwegian Nobel Committee says, ‘The prize can’t be revoked, shared, or transferred. It’s final.’ You can own the medal, but not the laureate title.”

What do you think—does Trump deserve a Nobel? Drop your thoughts in the Facebook comments.