Machado hands Trump her Nobel Peace Prize in a bizarre White House ritual, but he is already busy taking calls from her supposed Venezuelan rival

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made a truly stunning gesture, presenting her actual Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump during a meeting at the White House, as per The Hill. Machado sees this as a historical loop, a kind of repayment that connects the current moment back to the very foundation of both countries.

She explicitly said, “I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize.” Machado tied the moment back 200 years to the Revolutionary War General Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette apparently gave Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolivar a medal bearing President George Washington’s likeness, which Bolivar kept forever. Machado stated the current moment completes that cycle.

She continued, “Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,” she noted.

President Trump was quick to acknowledge the gift

Trump wrote on Truth Social later that night, “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!” A White House official confirmed that the president accepted the medal presentation from Machado.

This whole situation is extra fascinating because President Trump is heavily campaigning for his own Nobel Peace Prize nomination right now. He’s spent his second term building support for his work in ending global conflicts. He’s been racking up nominations from leaders in places like Israel, Cambodia, and Pakistan, along with various GOP lawmakers. Machado won the prize this year for her dedication to human rights in Venezuela.

Now here’s where the political landscape gets seriously complicated. While Machado was meeting privately with President Trump before heading to Capitol Hill to meet senators, where she was met by a swarm of chanting supporters, the president’s focus seems split. The U.S. currently backs acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez. You’ll remember that the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the U.S. to face drug charges in a military operation.

Just recently, President Trump spoke to Rodríguez by phone directly from the White House. This really makes you question the level of actual support Machado is receiving, despite the incredible medal gesture. Last week, he told reporters that Machado simply doesn’t have the respect or sufficient support within her native country to lead it.

However, before you start thinking this is a new way to transfer major international accolades, there’s a catch. The Norwegian Nobel Institute has already weighed in on the topic. They’ve stated clearly that once the prize is given out, it simply can’t be transferred to another person. That’s probably a good rule for maintaining the integrity of the award, actually.