A symbolic handover at the White House has triggered sharp criticism across Norway and online, after Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump -- a move that the Nobel Committee swiftly distanced itself from.
The controversy began during Machado’s visit to Washington, where she met Trump and offered him her Nobel Peace Prize medal, calling it “a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Speaking later in an interview, she insisted Trump “deserves it” and described the moment as deeply emotional. Trump, for his part, appeared pleased. Posting on social media, he said Machado had left the medal with him to keep, calling it a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The optics, however, prompted an immediate response from the institutions that oversee the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Nobel Committee issued a clarification underscoring that the act carries no official meaning whatsoever.
According to the Committee, once the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, it cannot be transferred, shared, or reassigned -- a rule rooted in the Nobel Foundation’s statutes and Alfred Nobel’s will.
While a laureate may choose what to do with the physical medal or prize money, the title itself is permanent. The honour of being a Nobel Peace Prize recipient remains solely with the person selected by the Committee.
In practical terms, this means Machado remains the official 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Trump may display or possess the medal, but he does not become a Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Machado received the prize last year for her efforts to “promote democratic rights in Venezuela” and for her campaign to move the country away from authoritarian rule.
When the award was announced in October 2025, she dedicated it to the Venezuelan people and also acknowledged Trump, praising his support for Venezuela’s democratic movement.
Reaction in Norway, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, has been notably severe. Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, a member of parliament, criticised Trump’s acceptance of the medal, saying it showed that he is a “classic scapegoat who will adorn himself with other people's awards and work.”
Others focused their anger on Machado herself.
Professor Janne Haaland Matlary, a former politician, said the incident was “completely unheard of” and reflected a troubling lack of respect for the prize. “It's a meaningless act, because you can't give away an award. It's the award itself, the honour of getting it. So this is very pathetic, I have to say,” she remarked.
Raymond Johansen, secretary general of Norwegian People's Aid and a former city council leader, went further, calling the episode “unbelievably embarrassing and damaging” to the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a Facebook post, he warned that “the awarding of the prize is now so politicised and potentially dangerous that it could easily legitimise an anti-peace prize development.”
Analysts have also questioned Machado’s motivations. US commentator Eirik Lokke suggested the move looked like an attempt to curry favour with Trump, despite the president having previously questioned whether Machado commands enough respect or backing within Venezuela to lead the country.
Online reaction mirrored the outrage voiced in Norway. Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia, wrote on X, “I just can't understand how Trump feels no embarrassment over accepting someone else's prize.”
Another user, @JoJoFromJerz, commented, “If you can 'give' your Nobel Peace Prize to someone like Donald Trump, you clearly didn't deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Mockery spread quickly. “When the Nobel Peace Prize becomes transferable, it stops being a prize and starts being a joke,” wrote @jeetensingh. Another user, @Zenantics2, added, “She's not giving it, she's buying him.”
Not everyone was critical. A handful of users defended Machado’s gesture, arguing that the symbolism mattered less than intent.
One post read, “I actually think she may be displaying the kindness and wisdom that lead to her getting the peace prize in the first place. It's just a silly medal. And it might ease some of the suffering of her people.”
Despite the dramatic handover, the political reality remains unchanged. Trump has continued to back Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez over Machado, conditional on alignment with Washington’s interests, particularly continued access to Venezuela’s oil resources. The medal, meanwhile, may sit elsewhere -- but the Nobel title stays exactly where the Committee says it belongs.
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