Can Trump get Machado's Nobel Peace Prize from her?
Executive summary
No — the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred to another person: the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Nobel Institute state unequivocally that once announced the prize “cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred” and the laureate title remains with the original winner for all time [1] [2]. While a laureate can physically give away or even sell the medal itself — an act with historical precedent — that does not confer the award’s honor or legal status on anyone else [3] [4].
1. The rule: permanence of the laureate title and committee stance
The statutes established by Alfred Nobel’s will and the Nobel Foundation make no provision for revocation, reassignment, or sharing of a Nobel Peace Prize after it is awarded, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee has repeatedly said it will not transfer or revoke prizes once announced [5] [1]. The Nobel Institute has publicly clarified the point in response to María Corina Machado’s suggestion of giving or sharing her 2025 prize with Donald Trump, stressing that “the decision is final and stands for all time” and that committees do not comment on laureates’ actions after the award [2] [6].
2. The medal versus the title: what can pass hands and what cannot
Precedent and the committee’s guidance create a clear legal and symbolic distinction: the physical medal and diploma can be handed over, gifted, or even auctioned — as when Dmitry Muratov sold his medal in 2022 — but transferring a metal object does not transfer the Nobel laureate designation or its legal meaning [4] [3]. Journalistic coverage reiterates this divide, noting that while Machado presented her medal to President Trump during a meeting, Nobel organizers stressed that the prize itself “belongs to its original recipient forever” [7] [8].
3. What happened in Washington: a medal presented, not a prize reassigned
Reporting indicates María Corina Machado did present her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump at a White House meeting — a public gesture she framed as recognition or gratitude — and Trump thanked her on social media for the gesture [7] [8]. Nobel officials had already warned Machado and the public that such a presentation cannot transfer the award’s status, underscoring the ceremonial nature of the act versus the immutable legal status of the prize [2] [9].
4. Legal, practical and reputational limits on “getting” the prize
Legally and procedurally, there is no mechanism for a third party, including a sitting or former head of state, to become a Nobel laureate by receiving someone else’s medal; the Nobel Foundation’s statutes and the Norwegian committee’s practices preclude transfer or revocation [1] [10]. Practically, even if a medal is in another person’s possession, historians, institutions and the Nobel organization will continue to recognize the original laureate, and media and official records will reflect that Machado — not Trump — is the 2025 laureate [5] [3].
5. The gray area and the political theater: motives and optics
The episode sits at the intersection of symbolism and political theater: Machado’s gesture and Trump’s eager reception feed political narratives — Machado’s gratitude and Trump’s longstanding desire for a Nobel — while the Nobel body’s statements aim to inoculate the prize’s institutional integrity from politicized appropriation [6] [8]. Commentators and outlets note the ethical debate over who may claim or display laureate honors and how selling or gifting medals has stirred controversy in the past [4] [3].
6. Bottom line verdict
In concrete terms, Trump cannot “get” Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize in the sense of becoming the laureate: the award’s title is nontransferable and cannot be revoked or reassigned [1] [2]. He can, and apparently did, receive Machado’s medal as a physical object or symbolic gesture, but possession of the medal does not change the historical record or the legal status of the Nobel laureate [7] [3].