U.S. President Donald Trump has responded after Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado publicly dedicated her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to him.
The Nobel Committee announced on Friday, October 10, that Machado was being honored for her role in promoting democratic rights and leading a peaceful movement for change in Venezuela.
However, speaking later that evening, President Trump confirmed he had spoken directly with Machado, describing the conversation as cordial and unexpected.
“The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it,’” Trump told reporters.
The President added with a smile, “A very nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though I think she might have. She was very nice.”
Earlier in the day, the White House publicly criticized the Nobel Committee, calling the decision political rather than principled.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted on social media:
“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”
Trump’s allies echoed the same sentiment. His envoy for Venezuela, Richard Grenell, wrote that “the Nobel Prize died years ago,” implying that Trump was more deserving of the honor for his diplomatic record.
Despite the backlash, Machado doubled down on her dedication, saying she accepted the prize “on behalf of the suffering people of Venezuela and President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.”
The Nobel Committee said Machado was recognized for her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Her recognition highlights the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, where she has faced persecution and gone into hiding after President Nicolás Maduro’s crackdown on opposition movements.
Machado’s nomination had been previously supported by senior American officials. In a letter written in November 2024, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other lawmakers described her as having “courageous and selfless leadership” and an “unyielding dedication to peace and democratic ideals.”
During the conversation, Trump hinted that the award might have been indirectly inspired by his own diplomatic efforts.
“You could also say it was given out for ’24, and I was running for office in ’24,” he said.
The President also noted that he had been “helping her along the way,” referring to U.S. support for democratic movements in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Trump’s comments came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his leadership.
While Putin did not directly mention Machado, he remarked:
“Whether the current U.S. President deserves the Nobel Prize or not, I don’t know. But he’s really doing a lot to resolve complex crises that last for years, even decades.”
