Trump took Machado’s medal, but can Nobel Peace Prize be transferred?
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on January 15, 2026. Trump accepted the medal, describing it as a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect” on Truth Social.
Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, handed over the physical medal to recognize Trump’s role in Venezuelan political changes, including the removal of Nicolas Maduro. She called it an acknowledgment of his “unique commitment to our freedom” after leaving the White House.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee clarified that the prize cannot be shared, transferred, or revoked, even if the medal changes hands—the recipient’s name remains fixed for all time. Trump intends to keep the medal despite this.
Trump had previously lobbied for the prize and expressed disappointment when Machado received it, but he praised her resilience. The gesture aimed to secure his support for Venezuela’s democratic transition amid shifting US-Venezuela dynamics.
Can Nobel Peace Prize be transferred?
No, the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred to another person. Official rules from the Norwegian Nobel Institute state that once announced, a Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred; the decision is final and permanent.
The award itself—its recognition and prestige—remains tied to the original laureate, in this case María Corina Machado for her 2025 work on Venezuelan democracy. While the physical medal can be physically handed over (as Machado did to President Trump) or even auctioned, this does not alter the prize’s official status.
Nobel statutes prohibit appeals or changes post-award, with no provisions for revocation or reassignment in Alfred Nobel’s will. Committees do not comment on laureates’ post-award actions, reinforcing the prize’s permanence.
