Donald Trump has claimed for years that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. This week, those claims resurfaced after an unusual moment at the White House, when Venezuelan opposition leader MarÃa Corina Machado handed Trump the Nobel Peace Prize medal she herself received earlier this year. The gesture sparked confusion and debate—prompting the Nobel Peace Center to issue a rare clarification about whether such an award can actually be transferred.
Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize has been vocal and persistent. As the announcement of the 2025 award approached, the U.S. president intensified his rhetoric, repeatedly insisting he merited the honor for what he described as stopping “eight wars.”
In October, Trump sharply criticized former President Barack Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
“He got a prize for doing nothing,” Trump said. “Obama didn’t even know what he got. He got elected and they gave it to him for absolutely nothing but destroying our country.”
Trump went on to say Obama “was not a good president” and argued that his own 2024 reelection was “far more important” than Obama’s 2008 victory.
Despite his claims, Trump did not receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the award would go to MarÃa Corina Machado, honoring her efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela.
Trump reacted angrily to the decision, calling it an “embarrassment” to Norway—despite the fact that the Norwegian government has no role in selecting the winner.
“I can’t think of anybody in history who should get the Nobel Prize more than me,” Trump said.
That frustration appeared to turn into celebration days later when Machado visited Trump at the White House and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. While the reason for the gesture was not officially explained, some observers speculated it was meant as a diplomatic signal, possibly to encourage Trump to engage with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy RodrÃguez.
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| MOUNT POCONO, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 09: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an event at Mount Airy Casino Resort on December 9, 2025 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. Trump discussed his administration’s economic agenda and its efforts to lower the cost of living. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) |
After the meeting, Machado told reporters she had given Trump the medal “as a recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.”
Trump later confirmed on social media that Machado had left the medal with him.
“She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much,” Trump wrote. “MarÃa presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, MarÃa!”
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| WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 15: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) President Donald Trump meets with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in the Oval Office, on January 15, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Daniel Torok/The White House via Getty Images) |
While many of Trump’s supporters celebrated what they saw as him “receiving” the Nobel Peace Prize, critics found the situation troubling.
Lewis Lukens, a former senior U.S. Embassy official during Trump’s first term, told NBC News that a typical presidential response would have been to politely decline.
“If it were any other president, they’d say, ‘Thank you, but this award belongs to you. Please take it with you,’” Lukens said. “But I can totally see Trump saying, ‘I deserve it, and I’m keeping it.’”
Amid the controversy, the Nobel Committee released a statement clarifying the rules surrounding the award.
“The facts are clear and well established,” the committee stated. “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
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| OSLO, NORWAY – DECEMBER 11: Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition figure and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee Jorgen Watne Frydnes attend a press conference on December 11, 2025 in Oslo, Norway. Machado, who had been banned from leaving Venezuela, missed the award ceremony yesterday before arriving in Olso late last night. (Photo by Rune Hellestad/Getty Images) |
The committee emphasized that Machado received the prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Shortly after the White House visit, the Nobel Peace Center also issued a rare response on social media. The center described the physical medal in detail and noted that while Nobel medals can change hands—such as journalist Dmitry Muratov’s medal, which was auctioned for more than $100 million to support Ukrainian refugees—the honor itself does not.
“A medal can change owners,” the center concluded, “but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
Whether symbolic or political, Machado’s gesture does not make Trump a Nobel laureate. The Nobel Peace Prize, once awarded, belongs solely—and permanently—to the individual chosen by the committee.
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