Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Did María Corina Machado Really Give Her Medal to President Trump?

The Nobel Peace Prize is supposed to be simple. One winner. One decision. No take-backs. Yet a single word “presented” has thrown the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 into a storm of confusion, headlines, and political debate.

When Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she had presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump, the world paused. Was it a symbolic move? A political statement? Or something more literal?

Most importantly, does that mean the prize is Trump’s now?

It all Begin with Machado’s White House Visit

After her meeting with President Trump at the White House, María Corina Machado addressed reporters. She said she had “presented” Trump with her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal, calling it as recognition of his “unique commitment to freedom.”

And then the reporter asked the obvious question:

“Is it his now?”

Machado did not respond.

That silence did the talking.

Within hours, Trump confirmed the moment on social media. He thanked Machado publicly, saying she had presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work he had done. The post sounded celebratory, but it also blurred an important line, between symbolism and ownership.

Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Medal vs. Meaning

This controversy exists because people often confuse two very different things:

• The physical medal

• The Nobel Peace Prize itself

The medal is an object. It can be displayed, gifted, or stored away.

The prize, however, is an official recognition recorded permanently by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. That recognition cannot be transferred, no matter the intention behind the gesture.

After speculation exploded, the Nobel Committee stepped in with a firm statement: “A Nobel Prize can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others.”

Which means, once announced, the decision stands forever.

In simple terms:

María Corina Machado remains the only Nobel Peace Prize 2025 laureate, regardless of who may hold her physical medal.

Why Machado Says the Gesture Was Symbolic

Machado later explained her action by drawing a historical comparison. She referenced a moment from over 200 years ago when the Marquis de Lafayette gave a medal bearing George Washington’s image to Simón Bolívar.

To her, the gesture represented shared values of freedom, resistance, and leadership.

From this view, the act was not about handing over an award. It was about acknowledging influence. Still, in politics, symbolism rarely exists without consequences.

The Political Undercurrent behind the Medal Moment

As we say timing matters and this time the timing raised eyebrows.

Earlier this month, Nicolás Maduro was removed from power in Venezuela. Many expected opposition leader María Corina Machado to step forward as a central figure in the country’s future.

Instead, President Trump publicly dismissed that possibility. He said Machado lacked sufficient support and respect within Venezuela. Rather than backing her, Trump chose to keep Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, in charge, along with much of the existing regime.

This decision shocked observers, especially since independently verified vote counts from Venezuela’s 2024 election showed Machado’s party defeating Maduro by a wide margin.

Did Accepting the Nobel Prize Cost Machado Political Support?

According to a report by The Washington Post, sources close to the White House suggested Trump’s reluctance to support Machado was linked to her decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

One source reportedly called it “the ultimate sin.”

The claim was blunt: If Machado had refused the prize and credited Trump instead; she might be leading Venezuela today.

Whether exaggerated or not, the message was clear, the Nobel Prize carried political weight far beyond prestige.

President Trump’s Long Pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize

Trump has never hidden his desire to win the Nobel Prize.

Before Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, Trump repeatedly said he deserved it for stopping global conflicts. Over time, he expanded that list, claiming involvement in easing tensions between:

• Israel and Iran

• Armenia and Azerbaijan

• India and Pakistan

• Serbia and Kosovo

• Egypt and Ethiopia

• Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Thailand and Cambodia

• Israel and Hamas

“They’re big ones too,” Trump once said.

From his perspective, the Nobel Committee simply refused to acknowledge his achievements.

How True Are Trump’s Peace Claims?

A CBS News review offered a more careful assessment. While Trump did help broker ceasefires and diplomatic talks, many of the conflicts cited were:

• Not full-scale wars

• Still unresolved

• Influenced by multiple international players

In some cases, U.S. involvement was limited. In others, it was unclear how decisive Trump’s role truly was. That gap between personal belief and independent verification remains central to the debate.

What Americans Think About Trump and the Nobel Prize

Public opinion has not been kind to Trump on this issue.

A Yahoo/YouGov poll found:

• 56% of Americans oppose Trump winning the Nobel Peace Prize

• 29% support the idea

When asked why Trump might never win:

• 58% said he doesn’t deserve it

• 24% said the Nobel Committee is biased against him

Trump himself strongly agrees with the second explanation.

Trump, Obama, and the Nobel Comparison

Trump has often compared his situation to former President Barack Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

“If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds,” Trump once remarked.

Obama’s award was given for what the committee described as his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation. That comparison continues to fuel Trump’s belief that politics, not merit, stand in his way.

Who Owns the Nobel Peace Prize 2025?

The answer remains simple, no matter how dramatic the headlines become.

• María Corina Machado is the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 laureate

• The prize cannot be transferred

• The medal does not equal ownership

• The recognition is permanent

Whatever meaning Machado intended, and whatever Trump believes, the official record will not change.

To conclude, this moment reveals more than confusion over a medal. It shows how global awards can become tools of influence, pride, and power. It also reminds readers to separate symbolic gestures from legal reality, especially in international politics.

FAQs

1. Did Donald Trump receive María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize?

No. The prize cannot be transferred. Machado remains the official laureate.

2. Can a Nobel Peace Prize be shared or revoked?

No. Once awarded, it belongs permanently to the recipient.

3. Did Trump physically take the Nobel medal?

It is tentative whether Trump took possession of the medal itself.

4. Why does Trump believe he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?

He claims credit for mediating peace or ceasefires in multiple global conflicts.

5. Why did the Nobel Committee clarify its rules?

Speculation around the gesture created confusion, forcing the committee to reiterate its policies.