WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that he personally spoke with Venezuelan opposition leader and newly named Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, shortly after his administration criticized the Nobel Committee for what it called a politically motivated choice.
Machado, a longtime advocate for democracy and human rights in Venezuela, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” The recognition, however, sparked controversy after Trump’s aides accused the committee of “placing politics over peace.”
Trump Says Machado Dedicated Her Win to Him
During remarks Friday evening, Trump said he received a congratulatory call from Machado following her win.
“The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it,’” Trump told reporters. “A very nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though I think she might have.”
Machado, speaking separately to Spain’s El País, confirmed the call but declined to share details. In her post accepting the award, she thanked Trump for his “decisive support” in her fight for Venezuelan democracy.
White House Slams Nobel Committee Over “Political” Choice
The White House wasted no time expressing its disapproval. Communications Director Steven Cheung said on social media that the Nobel Committee “proved they place politics over peace.”
Trump himself has long coveted the award, especially as global support for his Gaza peace plan and international diplomacy has grown. Several foreign leaders have recently endorsed him for the prize, but the nomination window for 2025 closed in January, according to the Nobel Foundation’s rules.
Still, Trump defended his efforts, saying he had “been helping [Machado] along the way” and noting that Venezuela remains a “basic disaster” under President Nicolás Maduro.
Machado’s Fight for Democracy in Venezuela
Maria Corina Machado has spent years leading Venezuela’s opposition movement. Known for her slogan “ballots over bullets,” she has faced arrests, government crackdowns, and exile threats under Maduro’s regime.
Her efforts drew the backing of many U.S. lawmakers, including Sen. Marco Rubio and Ambassador Mike Waltz, who nominated her for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024. Rubio praised Machado as “the personification of resilience and tenacity” in her fight for freedom.
In accepting the award, Machado said she dedicated it “to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his support of our cause.”
Tense Global Reactions and Putin’s Praise for Trump
While Trump’s allies criticized the Nobel Committee, others saw the award as a subtle message urging peaceful diplomacy. Benjamin Gedan, a former National Security Council official, told CNN that the decision “appears to encourage both the United States and Venezuela’s opposition to pursue change through nonviolent means.”
Ironically, one of Trump’s most vocal supporters on Friday was Russian President Vladimir Putin, who publicly commended Trump’s global peace efforts.
“Whether the current U.S. president deserves the Nobel Prize or not, I don’t know,” Putin said during a visit to Tajikistan. “But he’s really doing a lot to resolve complex crises.”
Trump quickly shared Putin’s comments on Truth Social, writing, “Thank you to President Putin!” — a post that drew both praise and criticism given the ongoing war in Ukraine.
