Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she “presented” her gold Nobel peace prize medal to President Trump during a private White House meeting on Thursday, describing the gesture as recognition of “his unique commitment [to] our freedom,” though it remained unclear whether the president accepted or retained the medal.
President Trump later wrote on Truth Social, “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!” while the Nobel Peace Center reiterated that prizes cannot be revoked, shared or transferred, stating in a 9 January release that “once a Nobel prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” and adding separately that “a medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot.”
Analysts said Machado’s move, which followed her dramatic escape from Venezuela to receive the award last year for opposing Nicolás Maduro’s “brutal, authoritarian state,” appeared aimed at restoring political momentum after President Trump declined to fully back her movement amid concerns over stability in Venezuela.