Maria Corina Machado Gave Trump Her Nobel Medal. Will He Endorse Her Now?

If you woke up to the headline and thought, “Wait, she gave Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal… like, gave it?” you are not alone.

Because that is exactly what Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she did during a private White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday. And within hours, the internet split into two camps: people calling it a shrewd political move, and others calling it humiliating, politically incoherent, or both.

Here is what happened, what we know for sure, and why it has become a flashpoint inside and outside Venezuela.

Maria Corina Machado walked into the White House with a Nobel medal and a big ask

According to the Associated Press, Maria Corina Machado met privately with Trump at the White House on Jan. 15. Afterward, she told reporters: “I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize.”

She also framed it as a symbol of gratitude, telling reporters she did it “as a recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.”

Machado’s decision comes after Trump refused to endorse her to lead Venezuela after the U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. Trump has instead signaled a willingness to work with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, now acting head of state.

So can Maria Corina Machado actually “give” a Nobel Peace Prize?

No. A Nobel Peace Prize is not a transferable title.

The Nobel Prize organisation put it plainly in a statement: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”

Meanwhile, the Nobel Peace Center also reiterated the same idea on social media: “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”

So yes, a physical medal can move from one hand to another. But no, Trump does not become a Nobel Peace Prize winner because someone hands him the medal.

Trump called it a moment of “mutual respect.”

Trump embraced the moment. Or at least that’s how it reads in pictures and his social media statement.

According to AP, Trump posted that Machado had presented him the prize “for the work I have done,” calling it “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”

Then the White House posted a photo of Trump holding the medal in a large framed display next to Machado.

Machado’s camp framed it as diplomacy, with millions of Venezuelans around the world celebrating her decision to thank the American President. Meanwhile, Trump framed it as recognition, though many wonder whether it truly satisfies his obsessive desire to be recognized with the Prize.

The “We can count on President Trump” moment made people blink

After the meeting, Machado walked outside and spoke to supporters gathered near the White House gates.

According to AP, she told them, “We can count on President Trump.” But for what, exactly? Despite the protocol, details stay murky.

AP reported that Machado did not share specifics about what Trump privately committed to, and Sen. Chris Murphy said he did not think she received a commitment from the White House to hold elections.

Norway is reacting like “please do not drag us into this”

The backlash did not stay in Venezuelan politics or U.S. commentary.

According to The Straits Times, Norwegian voices reacted with visible disgust. Professor Janne Haaland Matlary called it “completely unheard of,” and described Machado’s gesture as “disrespectful” and “pathetic,” saying it undermined the value of the prize.

The same report noted former Oslo mayor Raymond Johansen called it “incredibly embarrassing and damaging” to one of the world’s most respected prizes.

In the end, Maria Corina Machado’s strategy still makes sense for many

Here is why this moment divides people so sharply.

On one hand, Machado has operated for years inside the logic of symbols. Her brand is moral clarity, defiance, and international pressure. A Nobel medal is not just a piece of metal. It is global legitimacy.

On the other hand, Trump has his own relationship to the Nobel Peace Prize. He has openly wanted it. He has also sidelined Machado politically while working with Delcy Rodríguez.

So critics see the medal moment as Machado offering legitimacy to a leader who has given her none in return.

For their part, supporters see it as a tactical move: speak Trump’s language, appeal to his ego, and try to force the White House into clearer support for a democratic transition. And yes, there are other MAGA Venezuelans around the world who, albeit naively, honestly think Trump deserves the prize.

In the end, both readings can coexist, and that is the problem. This move leaves a lot of room for people to project their worst fears or their best hopes.

Venezuela’s transition still looks unstable, and Maria Corina Machado still wants the steering wheel

According to AP, Trump has publicly argued Machado lacks enough support inside Venezuela to lead, even as her coalition claims it won the widely contested 2024 election.

At the same time, Machado has insisted Venezuela already has a “president-elect,” Edmundo González, and she continues to push for a “new, genuine electoral process.”

And that is where the political tension sits now: Trump’s White House signals “stability” through Rodríguez, while Machado signals legitimacy through the opposition’s claimed mandate.

The Nobel medal moment did not resolve that contradiction. It just added a touch of adulation to diplomatic strategy.