Donald Trump didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize — but months after being publicly snubbed, the former U.S. president now has the medal in hand. And the way he got it, critics say, is “beyond embarrassing.”
In December 2025, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace 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,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee writes.
President Donald Trump had spent much of the year openly campaigning for the Nobel Peace Prize. He frequently touted his role in ending global conflicts and said he deserved recognition for, in his words, “stopping eight wars.”
Support from Netanyahu and Putin
Trump, who had vocally campaigned for the honor throughout 2025 and was nominated by several world leaders – including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – was visibly sidelined by the committee that selects Nobel laureates each year.
After he was snubbed, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported his American pal, saying “they’ve given Peace Prizes to undeserving folks.”
“The committee discussed the prize for people who have done nothing for the world. The prize lost its credibility,” he said. “No clue if the US President deserves it. He’s working hard on long-standing crises. He’s genuine about the Ukraine situation. Some things worked, some didn’t. He’s definitely trying to resolve issues.”
Shortly after, Trump shared a message on Truth Social, thanking Putin for his praise: “Thank you to president Putin,” he wrote alongside a clip of Putin’s speech.
But the Nobel Committee had already made its choice. Machado, after escaping Venezuela by sea, appeared in December 2025 to accept the award.
‘Run the country’
The turning point came on Jan. 3, when U.S. military forces reportedly conducted a surprise raid on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s residence in Caracas, according to CNN. Maduro and his wife were transported to the United States, where they face charges including narco-terrorism. Both will remain in custody until their court hearing scheduled for March 17 in New York.
Following Maduro’s capture, the POTUS said the U.S. “will run” Venezuela and also seize the country’s massive oil reserves.
Trump dismissed Machado as successor
Supporting Trump’s role in Maduro’s ouster, Machado publicly praised his involvement. “President Trump’s leadership and courage has brought Nicolás Maduro to face justice and this is huge,” Machado said, as reported by BBC.
Despite her support, the U.S. president has continued to dismiss Machado as a credible successor to Maduro.
“I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said after Maduro’s capture, referring to Machado. “She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”
But what happened next stunned the world.
Shocking handover
On Jan. 15, Machado met with Trump during a private visit to the White House.
There, she handed over her Nobel Peace Prize medal – a physical, symbolic gesture in recognition of Trump’s role in ending Venezuela’s dictatorship.
“To President Donald J. Trump In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength,” reads the text above the medal.
Below, it reads: “The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Medal awarded to María Corina Machado.”
In an interview with Fox News, Machado said she gave the prestigious prize to Trump “because he deserves it.”
“I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” she added.”
‘For the work I have done’
On Truth Social, the 79-year-old president expressed his gratitude for Machado gifting him a shiny new medal.
“It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” wrote Trump, who has not changed his position on Machado taking Maduro’s old position as president. “She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!”
‘Embarrassing’
Following news that Machado had handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump, outrage quickly spread online.
“Huge honor. Next week he’ll be receiving his Academy Award, his Ballon d’Or and his third Michelin star,” tweeted one user in the comment section of the White House announcement.
“She didn’t want to get kidnapped,” shared a second, referring to Maduro’s capture.
“Beyond embarrassing,” added a third, while a fourth shared: “Pathetic. That manic, childlike grin over a “Nobel” that isn’t his was never hers to give, and couldn’t be transferred anyway. Pure, unfiltered narcissism on display. Embarrassing.”
‘Decision is final’
Though Trump now holds the Nobel Peace Prize medal, the Norwegian Nobel Committee made it unequivocally clear: that does not make him a Nobel laureate.
In a statement posted to its official website on Jan. 9, the committee stated, “The facts are clear and well established. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
Simply put, the medal may be in Trump’s hands – but the prize still belongs to María Corina Machado.
What do you think of Machado wooing Trump with her prestigious Nobel Peace Prize? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story so we can get the conversation started!
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