Trump Gifted Nobel Peace Prize by Last Year's Recipient. Does That Make Him the New Winner?

Donald Trump got something he’s wanted for a long time when he met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — a Nobel Peace Prize.

The 79-year-old president met with Machado at the White House on Thursday (January 15). During their meeting, he was presented with the other politician’s Nobel Peace Prize, which she was rewarded in 2025.

Appearing on Fox & Friends after the meeting, Machado explained that she felt the president “deserves” the honor after he detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a January 3 operation.

Although she gifted him the prize, you might be wondering if that means he is now the winner. The Nobel Committee answered that question.

Keep reading to find out more…

According to the organization, Machado is still the recipient of the award, and it has not transferred over to the U.S. president.

“The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute receive a number of requests for comments regarding the permanence of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s status. 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,” they clarified in a statement earlier this month.

Recipients also receive a monetary prize. This year, it totaled nearly $1.2 million, per the institute.

On Fox & Friends, Machado described the moment she gave Trump the award as “very emotional.”

Continuing, she added, “I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela.”

Her medal was framed and paired with a dedication to the president.

“To President Donald J. Trump, In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace Through Strength, Advancing Diplomacy, and Defending Liberty and Prosperity,” it reads, per PEOPLE.

“Presented as a Personal Symbol of Gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan People in Recognition of President Trump’s Principled and Decisive Action to Secure a Free Venezuela,” the text in the frame continues. “The Courage of America, and its President Donald J. Trump, will Never be Forgotten by the Venezuelan People.”

Machado has previously expressed interest in giving the honor to Trump, who has long campaigned to win it himself. She even dedicated it to him while accepting it.

Earlier in January, a report from The Washington Post suggested that Machado even accepting the award was the “ultimate sin” in the president’s eyes, citing White House officials.

“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” they said.

Just Jared reached out to the White House for a statement about the prize but did not hear back at the time of publishing.