A political storm has erupted after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado handed over her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, prompting
sharp criticism from Norwegian leaders, Nobel officials and commentators.
The episode drew strong reactions in Norway, where the prize is awarded. Norwegian parliamentarian Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said Trump’s acceptance showed he was “adorning himself with other people’s achievements.” Former politician and academic Janne Haaland Matlary called the move “completely unheard of,” adding that one cannot give away the honour of a Nobel Prize. Raymond Johansen described the incident as “unbelievably embarrassing and damaging,” warning it risked politicising the award.
The Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute quickly clarified that the handover carries no legal or symbolic weight. Under Nobel statutes, the Peace Prize cannot be transferred or reassigned; while a laureate may dispose of the physical medal, the title and honour remain permanently with the recipient. Machado, therefore, remains the official laureate, and Trump does not acquire Nobel status.
On the other hand, Machado described the gesture as recognition of Trump’s support for Venezuela’s democratic movement and later said the moment was emotional. Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, said Machado left the medal with him and called it a sign of “mutual respect.”
Online reaction was similarly polarised, with critics questioning Trump’s willingness to accept another person’s prize and others defending Machado’s act as symbolic. Despite the controversy, Trump’s stance on Venezuela has continued to be guided by US strategic interests, including access to the country’s oil resources.
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and opposing authoritarian rule.
Despite the gesture, Trump has continued to signal support for Venezuela’s current leadership contingent on alignment with Washington’s strategic interests, including access to the country’s oil reserves.
