20th Woman to Ever Win the Nobel Peace Prize Gives It to a Man
I know Trump is obsessed with getting fake awards, but this is getting ridiculous.
The president officially got his paws on the Nobel Peace Prize he has long been drooling over after María Corina Machado visited him at the White House on Thursday and handed him the accolade she won in 2025 for her pro-democratic efforts in Venezuela. She placed the award in a large, gold-framed plaque bearing a personal dedication: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.” In exchange, she got a Trump-branded “swag bag.”
“María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!” Machado is the 20th woman to ever win the title, compared to 92 men; a particularly shocking disparity given that men are known for never giving anyone, everyone, a single day of peace.
FOX & FRIENDS: In spite of the Nobel Prize Committee saying you couldn’t transfer your Nobel Prize to anyone, especially to President Trump, you did. Why did you do that?
MARIA CORINA MACHADO: Because he deserves it. It was a very emotional moment. pic.twitter.com/Jwug2Lwwz2
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 16, 2026
On Friday morning, Machado went on Fox & Friends to say that Trump “deserves it.” But the gesture may be a conspicuous political ploy, as it remains unclear who’s currently running Venezuela (though Trump has said the U.S. will) or when elections will be held. Machado indicated to reporters afterwards that it was discussed during their meeting.
And, far apart from the fact that Trump’s approach to Venezuela has included nothing that screams “peace” (unauthorized boat strikes against mostly civilian laborers; openly hankering for the country’s oil that we do not need; and the abduction of a foreign leader without any congressional oversight), you can’t just… give your Nobel title away. Last week, the Nobel Peace Prize organization published a statement declaring the title cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred. On Thursday, the organization tweeted, “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace laureate cannot.”
The Nobel Prize museum in Oslo subtweeting the fuck out of Trump today.
— Charlotte Clymer (@charlotteclymer.bsky.social) January 16, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Trump and his followers, of course, believe he deserves the accolade. Before the award was announced in October, the president openly bragged that he really should get it for ending an “eighth” war after brokering a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. (Despite this agreement, the death toll in Gaza continues to rise.) Trump has also baselessly credited himself for ending at least seven wars. (A particularly miraculous feat because some of the countries he lists were not—and are not—at war.) Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in September, he proclaimed, “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize.” Mhmmmm.
But the award’s organization has been crystal clear that it never intended to award the title to Trump and, a day before announcing the results, pointedly declared it decided on a winner days before Trump’s peace plan struck a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
After Machado was announced as the Nobel recipient on October 10, she immediately dedicated it to Trump, tweeting, “We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy.” Funny, I didn’t know achieving freedom and democracy meant killing the First Amendment; ruining the economy; and rolling back reproductive rights.
According to White House officials, Trump fully intends to keep the medal—which is embarrassing. Maybe he can put it right next to his fake FIFA Peace Prize.
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