It was either the best or the worst trade in history, depending on whether your name is Donald Trump or Maria Corina Machado.
Naturally, I am referring to the exchange that occurred last week, when Venezuelan opposition leader Machado visited the White House with the Nobel Peace Prize and departed with… a gift bag.
Regardless of one’s opinion on Trump’s negotiating skills (or the lack thereof, based on whom you consult), the fact that he managed to persuade Machado to relinquish her Nobel Peace Prize is undeniably impressive, even if the Nobel Foundation will never acknowledge or endorse Trump as the latest recipient of the award.
It has been well-known that Trump desires the Nobel Peace Prize, which has been awarded to presidents such as Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter prior to him. The President has actively sought the honor, proclaiming to anyone willing to listen that he has brought an end to eight wars.
He expressed strong disapproval regarding the decision to award the 2025 Prize to another individual, frequently lamenting about corruption and injustice in a manner only Trump can.
The individual who did receive the award was Maria Corina Machado, a prominent critic of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (recently apprehended by Trump), who was honored for her contributions to advancing democracy in her native country.
By contrast, Trump’s erratic political moves continue to cause upheaval in the U.S., while he recent warned Iran of potential U.S. military action to combat the chaos in the Middle Eastern country, and of course, is so obsessed on bringing Greenland under American control that he has refused to rule out an invasion there.
One can imagine why most people reacted with shock, then, when Machado traveled to the White House last week and physically handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump, encased in a decorative frame with a personal message for the President.
“To President Donald J. Trump,” it read. “In gratitude for your extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength, advancing diplomacy, and defending liberty and prosperity.”
As per CNN, Machado hopes that by gifting the medal to Trump – thereby sating his desire to get his hands on one – she would secure U.S. backing to lead Venezuela following the ousting of Maduro.
It remains uncertain whether that will indeed be the case; however, Machado was observed leaving the White House with a gift bag. The contents of the Trump-branded gift bag are unknown, although Page Six reports that similar bags were distributed to attendees at Trump’s second-term inauguration in January 2025.
According to reports, those bags contained a medal depicting Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a sizable red leather journal embossed in gold with an illustration of the US Capitol, a red leather coin featuring the Capitol, and a sparkling Christmas ornament from the White House.
Although Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize—a gesture that was met with considerable disapproval online—the actual accolade remains hers, regardless of who possesses the physical medal.
To Trump’s likely dismay, the Nobel Peace Centre located in Oslo, Norway, has clarified that Nobel medals cannot be shared or transferred. They explained in a post on X: “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
What did you make of the trade between Trump and Machado? Let us know in the comments.
