Trump Receives Nobel Peace Prize From Reigning Winner

[Twitter.com, The White House]

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has ignited diplomatic backlash in Norway after presenting her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a White House visit this week, a move Norwegian officials say undermines the integrity of the award.

The presentation took place Thursday during Machado’s first visit to the White House, where she met with Trump following a recent U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. Machado framed the gesture as a symbolic act of appreciation, describing it as a “profound expression of gratitude for the invaluable support of President Trump and the United States to the Venezuelan people.”

Trump publicly welcomed the gesture, calling it a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect” in a social media post. The White House later circulated an image showing the president holding the framed medal.

Reaction from Norway, home of the Nobel Committee, was swift and angry. Janne Haaland Matlary, a professor of international politics at the University of Oslo and a former official in Norway’s foreign affairs ministry, described the move as unprecedented, arguing that it disrespects the award itself and diminishes its significance. Raymond Johansen, a Labour Party legislator, echoed that criticism in a social media post, warning that the decision risks damaging the reputation of the Nobel Peace Prize.

It said Thursday: “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.” A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”

Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, leader of Norway’s Centre Party, reinforced that distinction, noting that while the physical medal may be gifted, Machado alone retains the status of laureate. Other senior political figures, including Christian Democratic Party leader Dag-Inge Ulstein and former defense minister Ine Eriksen Søreide, similarly stressed that possession of the medal does not convey the Nobel Peace Prize itself.

The controversy follows earlier friction between Washington and the Nobel Committee. The White House had previously criticized the committee’s October decision to honor Machado, arguing that the selection reflected political considerations rather than a neutral assessment of contributions to peace.

Venezuelans have celebrated Trump all over the world in response to him freeing their country.

[Read More: Kamala Buys Malibu Mansion Despite Climate Alarmism]

Tags:

You might be interested in