The Nobel committee has delivered a clear reminder that its awards are immutable, in response to Maria Corina Machado’s gesture of gifting her Nobel Prize to Donald Trump. Captured in a photograph at the Oval Office, Trump beams as he holds the prize, standing beside Machado, the prominent leader of Venezuela’s opposition. Machado, who received the accolade last year for her efforts to transform Venezuela into a democracy, announced at Capitol Hill that she had handed Trump her medal. However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee took to Twitter to reiterate that while medals may be passed on posthumously, the designation of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate is not transferable. “A medal may find a new home, but the Nobel Peace Prize title remains unchanged,” they emphasized.

The committee reaffirmed their standing rule: “Once a Nobel Prize is declared, it remains irrevocable, indivisible, and non-transferable. This decision is conclusive and eternal.” Despite this, Machado referenced a historical precedent, mentioning a medal made for President George Washington that was given to the family of the French officer Marquis de Lafayette, a key figure in the American Revolution. She stated, “I presented the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize, to the president of the United States.” Trump expressed his gratitude on Truth Social, acknowledging Machado’s gesture: “It was my great honor to meet María Corina Machado today. She is a remarkable woman who has endured so much. María offered me her Nobel Peace Prize for my efforts. Such a wonderful act of respect. Thank you, María!”

Machado explained her decision to bestow the medal on Trump, dubbing him the “heir of Washington,” due to his “extraordinary dedication to our freedom.” The Daily Mail has sought comments from the White House, though they have yet to respond. Trump’s previous public campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize last year adds context to this event. The meeting with Machado did not include a press invitation, so images of Trump with the prize were not immediately available.

Ahead of their White House meeting, the first since the United States military captured and imprisoned Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolas Maduro, Machado expressed that she was open to giftingTrump the Nobel. While the U.S. government’s stance was that Maduro did not rightfully win the 2024 election – with the winner being a member of Machado’s opposition movement after she was barred from running herself – Trump has not pushed for full regime change in Venezuela despite arresting its leader. Instead, the U.S. government has been working with Maduro’s No. 2, Delcy Rodriguez, who’s become the country’s acting president. Last week, the president hosted leaders of oil companies to the White House, pushing them to invest in Venezuela, with some company heads expressing doubts due to the country’s previous political instability and history of seizing oil company assets.

But that didn’t deter Trump from continuing to work with the current regime. In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Trump spoke of the ‘fascinating talk’ he had with Rodriguez, saying: ‘She’s been very good to deal with.’ As for Machado, he added, ‘She’s a very nice woman. I think we’re just going to talk basics,’ Trump said. The White House has yet to provide a readout of their meeting. Machado was captured smiling and walking out onto Pennsylvania Avenue when she departed from the White House meeting. Her trip to Washington, D.C., marked an end to Machado’s political isolation.

The opposition leader has been in hiding since she was briefly detained by Maduro’s government in Caracas last year, fleeing the country afterward. Cheering supporters met Machado outside the White House’s gate, the Associated Press reported. She then headed to Capitol Hill to meet with a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Republicans, including Senators Ted Cruz and Rick Scott, posed alongside Democratic Senators Durbin, Alex Padilla, Ruben Gallego, Peter Welch and others. Machado ignored shouted questions about how her meeting with Trump went.