Donald Trump Banned From Accepting Nobel Peace Prize: Committee State Award 'Cannot Be Shared' Amid Maria Corina Machado's Attempt to Gift Prez Medal
Donald Trump has been banned from accepting Nobel Peace Prize from 2025 winner Maria Corina Machado, despite his enthusiasm to land the honor.
Jan. 16 2026, Published 8:58 a.m. ET
Donald Trump has been banned from accepting the Nobel Peace Prize after Maria Corina Machado gifted her award to the president.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Machado, leader of Venezuela's opposition party, presented her medal, which she won last year, to Trump during her visit to the White House this week.
Trump Was Willing To Accept Honor
Trump recently said he would accept the medal if Machado offered it to him.
Machado beat the president to the prize, which he heavily lobbied for, courtesy of her commitment to turning Venezuela into a democracy.
She gave Trump her award calling him the "heir of Washington" because the president has made a "unique commitment with our freedom."
However the Norwegian Nobel Committee posted a lengthy tweet Thursday that noted while many prizes "have been passed on after the winner's death, they cannot be gifted.
"A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot."
Medal In President's Hands
Trump poses up with Machado who gifted him her medal.
They repeated the official ruling they published last week: "But one truth remains. As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time."
But Machado remained unperturbed, recalling to reporters how a medal commissioned for President George Washington was presented to the family of French military officer Marquis de Lafayette, who had helped the Americans win the Revolution.
"I presented the president of the United States, the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize," she said.
Trump thanked Machado on Truth Social: "It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much.
'A Wonderful Woman Who Has Been Through So Much'
Machado, here with former Vice President Dick Cheney, ended her political isolation. by visiting the White House.
"María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!"
Ahead of their White House meeting, the first since the United States military captured and imprisoned Venezuela's dictator, Nicolas Maduro, Machado expressed that she was open to gifting Trump the Nobel.
While the U.S. government's stance was that Maduro did not rightfully win the 2024 election — with the winner being a member of Machado's opposition movement after she was barred from running herself — Trump has not pushed for full regime change in Venezuela despite arresting its leader.
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The president described Machado as 'a very nice woman.'
Instead, the U.S. government has been working with Maduro's No. 2, Delcy Rodriguez, who's become the country's acting president.
In an interview on Wednesday, Trump spoke of the 'fascinating talk' he had with Rodriguez, saying: "She's been very good to deal with."
As for Machado, he added: "She's a very nice woman."
"I think we're just going to talk basics." Trump said.
Machado was captured smiling and walking out onto Pennsylvania Avenue when she departed from the White House meeting.
Her trip to Washington, DC, marked an end to Machado's political isolation.
The opposition leader has been in hiding since she was briefly detained by Maduro's government in Caracas last year, fleeing the country afterwards.
