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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she presented President Donald Trump with a Nobel Peace Prize medal, calling it a historic gesture that recognizes his commitment to freedom and the fight against tyranny.
Machado spoke with reporters outside the US Capitol on Thursday, when asked if she had offered the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump.
“I presented the President of the United States with the medal…the Nobel Peace Prize, and I told him, ‘Listen to this, 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simón Bolívar a medal with George Washington’s face on it,'” Machado said. “He kept that medal for the rest of his life. In fact, when you see pictures of him, you can see the medal.”
She said that Lafayette gave the medal to Bolivar as a symbol of the partnership between the peoples of the United States and the people of Venezuela and their common struggle for freedom against tyranny.
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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Thursday that she presented President Donald Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal. (Christian Hernandez/AP Photo)
“After two hundred years of history, the people of Bolívar are returning a medal to Washington’s heir, in this case the Nobel Peace Prize Medal, in recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom,” Machado said.
Machado’s meeting with Trump came about two weeks after the United States arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, and amid lingering questions about her political future. The meeting also followed Trump’s comments that cast doubt on Machado’s leadership of the country rather than endorsing the Venezuelan opposition leader.
“I think it’s going to be very difficult for her to be the leader,” Trump told reporters on January 3. “She doesn’t have support or respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have respect.”
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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado speaks December 11 in Oslo, Norway. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
The Washington Post previously reported that Trump was upset about Machado winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 — an award he had hoped to receive and which Machado dedicated to him — though the White House said the president’s decisions were based on “realistic decisions.”
However, Machado floated the idea of passing the prestigious award to Trump last week during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“Did you ever offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?” Sean Hannity asked. “Did that really happen?”
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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado waves the national flag during a protest in Caracas, January 9, 2025. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)
“Well, it hasn’t happened yet,” Machado replied.
“I would certainly like to be able to tell him personally that we believe – the Venezuelan people, because this is an award for the Venezuelan people – we certainly want to give it to him and share it with him,” Machado continued. “What he did is historic. It is a big step towards democratic transformation.”
Despite its intention, the Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea last Friday.
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“Once the Nobel Prize has been announced, it cannot be annulled, shared, or transferred to others,” the institute said in a statement. “The decision is final and remains forever.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sienkiewicz contributed to this report.