Trump Took Machado’s Medal – But Can a Nobel Peace Prize Really Be Transferred?

When Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado handed over her nobel peace prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, Trump’s reaction was telling. Flashing a wide grin, he described it as a “wonderful gesture.” For a leader who has long expressed admiration — and aspiration — for the Nobel Peace Prize, the moment carried undeniable symbolism.

Machado did more than symbolically acknowledge Trump’s role. She physically left the Nobel Peace Prize medal at the White House, a move Trump accepted openly, calling it a “gesture of mutual respect.” The optics were powerful — and historic.

This marked the first known instance in which a Nobel Peace Prize laureate voluntarily relinquished the medal to another individual. But while the act may carry political and emotional weight, it raises a critical legal question: Is it actually possible to transfer a Nobel Peace Prize?

The answer, according to the Norwegian Nobel Institute, is unambiguous — no. Days before Machado’s visit to Washington, the institute had already addressed speculation surrounding her statement that she intended to “donate” her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Trump.

In an official clarification issued on Sunday, the Norwegian Nobel Institute reaffirmed that a Nobel Prize cannot be shared, transferred, revoked, or reassigned under any circumstances. The statement cited the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which clearly state that decisions taken by Nobel Committees are final, permanent, and beyond appeal.

The institute further emphasized that Nobel Committees do not comment on the personal actions or political decisions of laureates once the prize has been awarded. However, it reiterated a crucial point: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to another person.”

Reinforcing this position, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated, “A Nobel Prize cannot be withdrawn, divided, or given to someone else after it has been awarded. The ruling is definitive and unchangeable.”

WHY DID MACHADO GIVE TRUMP HER NOBEL PEACE PRIZE MEDAL?

Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 — one of the world’s most prestigious honors — recognizing individuals who have “conferred the greatest benefit to mankind.” Her recognition came amid Venezuela’s prolonged political crisis and her sustained campaign against authoritarian rule.

However, following the dramatic arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US authorities, Machado publicly stated that she wished to present her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump. She framed the gesture as an expression of gratitude for what she described as Trump’s role in advancing the cause of freedom for the Venezuelan people.

Speaking to reporters as she departed the White House, Machado said, “I presented the president of the United States the medal — the Nobel Peace Prize — as a recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom.”

Trump later acknowledged the gesture on social media, writing, “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Maria, thank you for such a beautiful act of mutual respect.”

While the medal may now sit at the White House, the Nobel Peace Prize itself — both legally and historically — remains solely Machado’s. The episode underscores the distinction between symbolic political gestures and the rigid institutional rules that govern one of the world’s most revered awards.