‘No transfer allowed’: Nobel Committee rebuffs Trump’s ‘will accept prize’ comment
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 last year for her sustained advocacy for democracy in Venezuela, defeating Trump’s own hopes of securing the award.
- Jan 11, 2026,
- Updated Jan 11, 2026 2:29 PM IST
US President Donald Trump stated he would accept the Nobel Peace Prize from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado if she offers it during their meeting next week.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee rejected this possibility, emphasizing that Nobel Prizes cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred once awarded.
“The facts are clear and well established. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a statement on Friday.
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 last year for her sustained advocacy for democracy in Venezuela, defeating Trump’s own hopes of securing the award.
Trump has repeatedly argued he deserves the prize, citing his role in stopping global conflicts. “You should get a Nobel Prize for every war you stopped. These were major wars. These were wars that nobody thought could have stopped,” the US President said.
Trump also expressed willingness to accept after learning Machado allegedly wants to share the honor with him. “I think it’s very nice she wants to come in, and that’s what I understand the reason is,” he said.
The meeting occurs amid heightened US-Venezuela tensions following the US military operation that captured ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Washington has long accused Maduro of being one of the world’s leading narco-traffickers, alleging he worked with drug cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.
The operation followed months of military buildup, including positioning the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and other warships in the Caribbean. Trump has also made controversial claims about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
US President Donald Trump stated he would accept the Nobel Peace Prize from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado if she offers it during their meeting next week.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee rejected this possibility, emphasizing that Nobel Prizes cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred once awarded.
“The facts are clear and well established. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a statement on Friday.
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 last year for her sustained advocacy for democracy in Venezuela, defeating Trump’s own hopes of securing the award.
Trump has repeatedly argued he deserves the prize, citing his role in stopping global conflicts. “You should get a Nobel Prize for every war you stopped. These were major wars. These were wars that nobody thought could have stopped,” the US President said.
Trump also expressed willingness to accept after learning Machado allegedly wants to share the honor with him. “I think it’s very nice she wants to come in, and that’s what I understand the reason is,” he said.
The meeting occurs amid heightened US-Venezuela tensions following the US military operation that captured ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Washington has long accused Maduro of being one of the world’s leading narco-traffickers, alleging he worked with drug cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.
The operation followed months of military buildup, including positioning the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and other warships in the Caribbean. Trump has also made controversial claims about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.