Overview
- Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House with a dedication praising his leadership.
- The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated the honor cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked, noting that only the physical medal or diploma may change hands.
- The Foundation cited precedents of laureates selling or donating medals, including Dmitry Muratov’s auction and David Thouless’s family donation, to underscore that ownership of the honor does not change.
- Legal commentators in the United States are assessing whether the medal should enter official custody under emoluments or archival rules, while White House sources indicated Trump intends to keep it.
- Trump did not provide explicit political backing for Machado’s leadership bid in Venezuela, and Norwegian public figures criticized her gesture as disrespectful to the prize.