Trump & Nobel Prize: Norway Reacts to Machado’s Gift

OSLO – Norway has reacted with disbelief after Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado presented her medal to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long expressed a desire for the award.

Controversy Surrounds Medal Transfer

“That’s completely unheard of,” University of Oslo professor Janne Haaland Matlary, a former politician, told public broadcaster NRK. She described the act as a “total lack of respect for the award,” calling it “meaningless” and “pathetic.”

Trump accepted the medal from Machado at a White House meeting on Jan. 15. He had previously voiced dissatisfaction with the decision made by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The committee stated last week that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be shared or transferred, and did not respond to requests for comment on Jan. 16.

Politicization of the Award

The incident has sparked criticism, with many arguing it further politicizes the Nobel Peace Prize. Some observers suggest the decision to award Machado was an attempt to avoid antagonizing Trump following his efforts to secure the prize.

The situation contrasts with 2022, when Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov auctioned off his 2021 peace prize medal to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees.

For Machado, receiving the Nobel has been complex. She has reportedly sought to gain favor with Trump, refraining from publicly condemning the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, or commenting on strikes off the Venezuelan coast that have resulted in over 100 deaths.

Machado has been excluded from Venezuela’s leadership transition since U.S. forces ousted Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, while maintaining his regime. Trump has publicly stated she lacks the support to govern Venezuela.

Machado presented Trump with the medal, including an inscription thanking him for his “Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace Through Strength, Advancing Diplomacy and Defending Liberty and Prosperity.”

“I decided to present the medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” she told Fox News. “I appreciate what he has done not only for the freedom of the Venezuelan people, but for the whole hemisphere.” Machado described Trump as the liberator of her country, according to Fox.

Past Controversies

Nobel decisions have often been met with controversy. Barack Obama’s 2009 award came early in his first presidential term, preceding an increase in U.S. troop deployments to Afghanistan.

Aung San Suu Kyi, a 1991 laureate from Myanmar, faced criticism for her perceived inaction during the military’s massacre of the Rohingya minority. Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 winner, became embroiled in a civil war in the Tigray region shortly after, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Norwegian Reactions

Norwegian politicians have been critical of Machado’s decision. Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, leader of the Center Party, called Trump a “classic braggart” who seeks to claim credit for others’ achievements. Kirsti Bergsto, leader of the Socialist Left, described the move as “absurd and meaningless.”

The Nobel Peace Prize, established under the will of Alfred Nobel in 1896, is considered the world’s most prestigious award for diplomatic efforts. While the Norwegian Nobel Committee operates independently, its five members are appointed by the Parliament, introducing a political element.

Norway and the U.S. also experienced tension in 2026 when a decision to sell Caterpillar Inc. shares from Norway’s sovereign wealth fund angered Trump’s supporters, leading to the suspension of the fund’s ethics council.

“This is unbelievably embarrassing and damaging to one of the world’s most recognised and important prizes,” Raymond Johansen, a former Oslo mayor, said in a Facebook post. “The awarding of the prize is now so politicised and potentially dangerous that it could easily legitimise an anti-peace prize development.”