Venezuelan Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado leaves her Nobel Peace Prize for US President Donald Trump during their meeting at the White House on Thursday. A White House official confirmed that the gold medal now remains in Trump's possession.
Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition in Venezuela, told reporters she left the medal during the meeting.
"I presented the President of the United States with the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado said, framing the gesture as "recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom".
The White House meeting came amid intense debate over Venezuela's political future following the US-led capture of former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife earlier this month, and after Trump dismissed Machado as lacking adequate credibility to lead her country.
As she left the White House after more than an hour of discussion with the US President, the Venezuelan Nobel laureate was greeted by cheering supporters. "We can count on President Trump," she told them, prompting chants of "Thank you, Trump" before she headed to subsequent meetings in Washington DC.
The gesture by Machado comes as Trump's keeps his eyes fixated on the coveted Nobel Peace Prize. The US President had openly and fiercely campaigned for the award, but the Nobel Committee ultimately awarded it to Machado. At the time, Trump was vocal about the snub.
Following Machado's gesture, Trump praised the Venezuelan Opposition leader's "wonderful gesture", thus acknowledging the receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. "Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria," he wrote on Truth Social.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute, however, was quick to clarify that the Peace Prize itself cannot be transferred or shared, and will remain Machado's. When asked on Wednesday if he wanted her to give him the prize, Trump answered in the negative to news agency Reuters. "No, I didn't say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described Machado as a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela but reiterated that Trump's assessment of her leadership prospects had not changed. The US President has previously said she lacks the domestic support to lead a transition government in Venezuela.
Thursday's meeting marked Machado's first public appearance in Washington months after leaving Venezuela under threat to her safety. She was barred from contesting Venezuela's 2024 presidential election by a top court aligned with Maduro. Independent observers say opposition-backed Edmundo Gonzlez Urrutia won decisively, though Maduro declared victory and stayed in power.
