Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump, and the gesture quickly snowballed into a controversy. The official social media handle of The White House shared a picture of Donald Trump smiling ear-to-ear as he posed with the Nobel Peace Prize, with Machado by his side.
The caption on the photo shared by The White House read, “President Donald J. Trump meets with Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor.”
President Donald J. Trump meets with María Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor.🕊️ pic.twitter.com/v7pYHjVNVO
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 16, 2026
A section of the Internet instantly trolled Maria Corina Machado after the Nobel laureate handed over her Peace Prize to Donald Trump. “Huge honor. Next week, he’ll be receiving his Academy Award, his Ballon d’Or, and his third Michelin star,” an X user commented on the post shared by The White House.
Meanwhile, the comments on Instagram, directed at Maria Corina Machado, were equally vile. “She didn’t hand him a medal – she handed him her spine,” read one. A second read, “What a pick me girl.” A third commented, “Shame on you!”
The slamming of Trump and Maria Corina Machado continued in the comments. “She left her dignity there too…shameful,” read one of the remarks. Similar thoughts echoed in the comments: “It’s not only a huge insult to the Nobel Peace Prize, but you’ve now single-handedly undone years of progress for women. It is mind-blowing that you have stooped this low.”
There was no end to the comments replete with a lot of flak. “You’re gonna wake up one day, embarrassed at what you did on that day,” a netizen wrote. Another one added, “How embarrassing…such a disgrace. He is so pathetic and sad, really.” Here’s what another comment on the post read: “Most pathetic scene I’ve seen.” Another one flagged it as “pathetic.”
Meanwhile, some users couldn’t help but notice Trump’s wide grin in the picture. The US President, who claims to have stopped multiple wars, has been super vocal about wanting to get a Nobel Peace Prize, but he lost out to Machado last year. On the photo of Trump and Machado, an Instagram user commented, “Trump’s smile in this photo is absolutely priceless.” Another one wrote, “He really looks like a kid on Christmas morning.”
Meanwhile, an excited Trump posted on Truth Social, “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!”
Trump: It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María! pic.twitter.com/CFULMufcPW
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 16, 2026
As per the Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Nobel Committee, the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be shared. The Nobel Peace Center, which happens to be the official account of the museum about the Nobel Peace Prize, shared a detailed post on X.
An excerpt from the X post read, “But one truth remains. As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time. A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
The #NobelPeacePrize medal.
It measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold. On its face, a portrait of Alfred Nobel and on its reverse, three naked men holding around each other’s shoulders as a sign of brotherhood. A design unchanged for 120 years.
Did… pic.twitter.com/Jdjgf3Ud2A
— Nobel Peace Center (@NobelPeaceOslo) January 15, 2026
Maria Corina Machado, who presented the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump, told the reporters earlier, “I think today is a historic day for us Venezuelans.”
According to the Associated Press, Maria Corina Machado told the reporters stationed outside the White House, “We can count on President Trump. I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize.” She went on to call it “a recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.”
