President Donald Trump is increasingly distancing himself from Venezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado. Sources within the White House reveal that his dissatisfaction is rooted in her acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor Trump has long desired for himself. An insider familiar with Trump’s perspective shared with the Washington Post that had Machado declined the award, claiming it belonged to Trump, she might have been Venezuela’s president today. Despite Machado later dedicating the prize to Trump, insiders suggest the perceived slight had already left its mark.

Over the weekend, Trump mentioned that he has yet to communicate with Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodríguez, after the military coup that ousted Nicolás Maduro. Just a day prior, Trump downplayed Machado’s chances, suggesting it would be challenging for her to assume leadership, as he believed she lacked both the support and respect within the nation. This unexpected criticism surprised Machado’s team, according to her close associates. In the previous election, Machado’s chosen candidate, Edmundo González, had secured over two-thirds of the vote, a result Maduro refused to acknowledge by relinquishing power.

According to US officials, Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves present a dual opportunity: they could either motivate Rodríguez to align with Trump or serve as a bargaining chip if she opts otherwise. The operation named ‘Absolute Resolve,’ which successfully led to Maduro’s military ouster, coincides with Trump’s escalating threats to Cuba, Colombia, and Iran, advising them to exercise caution following his military achievement in Caracas. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, the armed forces have acknowledged Rodríguez, previously Maduro’s vice president, as the acting president. Machado’s team was reportedly taken aback by Trump’s remarks.

Some have taken to social media to defend her –– including Republicans. Representative Carlos Gimenez said in an interview that Machado would win an election if it were held today. Florida Republican Representatives María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart also held a press conference in Doral on January 3 to forcefully reaffirm their support for Machado. Salazar, a longtime ally who frequently refers to Machado as Venezuela’s ‘Iron Lady,’ has made note that any democratic transition must occur ‘under the leadership of María Corina Machado.’ Díaz-Balart also shut down suggestions that she lacked respect by declaring that ‘the next democratically elected President of Venezuela is going to be María Corina Machado.’

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul suggested Trump threw Machado ‘under the bus,’ over the Nobel Peace Prize. ‘Is he that petty? … I was genuinely surprised and disappointed by his dismissive remarks about her,’ McFaul said. A former White House staffer is also calling the president’s reasoning ‘petty.’ ‘The reason it’s not Machado, is Trump is petty! Machado took his Nobel Peace Prize,’ the former Director for European Affairs for the United States National Security Council wrote on X.

US officials argue that Venezuela’s vast oil wealth cuts both ways for Rodríguez—offering a powerful reason to engage with Trump, and a potent source of pressure if she does not. Operation ‘Absolute Resolve,’ the military removal of Maduro, comes as Trump makes compounding threats to other countries on the heels of his military success in Caracas – saying Cuba, Colombia and Iran should be very careful.