Nobel Committee responds to peace prize being handed to Trump
Photo: Nobel Days 2025, Maria Corina Machado (nobelprize)
Norway explained that despite the physical transfer of the gold medal, the status of laureate cannot be delegated to another person, the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Background
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Machado presented the Nobel Prize medal to US President Donald Trump.
In doing so, she wanted to acknowledge his understanding of the situation in Venezuela.
Reaction of Nobel Committee
The Committee emphasizes that the rules of the award are unalterable and do not provide for a change of title holder:
"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time," the statement says.
The Nobel Foundation explains that neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the organization's statutes provides for the possibility of revoking or transferring the prize.
The decisions of the committees in Oslo and Stockholm are final, and throughout the award's history, no committee has ever considered changing the laureate.
President Donald J. Trump meets with María Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor. pic.twitter.com/v7pYHjVNVO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 16, 2026
Trump criticized Machado
Despite their shared political goals, relations between the Venezuelan opposition leader and the US President remain tense. Donald Trump was annoyed by the fact that Maria Machado did not refuse the Nobel Peace Prize in his favor immediately after the results were announced.
The US President's entourage called this delay a serious mistake that could negatively affect Machado's political future. Trump himself expressed doubts about her leadership qualities, saying that it would be difficult for her to lead the country.
According to him, the politician allegedly does not have sufficient support or respect within Venezuela, which calls into question her legitimacy as a national leader.
How Donald Trump wanted to win the Nobel Peace Prize and what he did to achieve this - read in the article by RBC-Ukraine.
