> At a Glance
> – The Nobel Committee says María Corina Machado cannot transfer her Peace Prize to Donald Trump
> – Once awarded, the prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred
> – Machado had publicly wanted to give the honor to Trump
> – Why it matters: The ruling ends speculation about whether Trump could receive a prize he has long campaigned for
The Nobel Committee issued a blunt reminder that Nobel laureates can’t re-gift their honors, dashing Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s stated wish to hand her 2024 Peace Prize to President-elect Donald Trump.
Committee Puts Its Foot Down
On January 9, the committee posted a release on the Nobel Peace Prize website:
> “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 statement came after Fox News’ Sean Hannity told Trump that Machado, 58, had said she “wants to give” him the prize.
Trump’s Reaction
During the same interview, Trump confirmed Machado would visit him “next week” and added:
> “That would be a great honor.”
He gave no direct answer on whether he would accept the prize, but the committee’s rule makes the point moot.
Political Fallout for Machado
Machado won the award in October for her work pushing democratic rights in Venezuela. Yet a January 4 Washington Post report claimed her accepting the prize-rather than rejecting it on anti-Trump grounds-hurt her odds of leading Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro’s removal.
A White House source told the Post:
> “If she had turned it down… she’d be the president of Venezuela today.”
Trump, asked January 3 about her leadership prospects, said:
> “It’d be very tough for her to be” president, citing a lack of “support or respect within the country.”
Key Takeaways
- Nobel rules bar any transfer of the prize once announced
- Trump has long campaigned for a Peace Prize but has never received one
- Machado’s acceptance of the award has been framed by some as a political misstep inside Venezuela
With the committee’s declaration, the only way Trump could ever claim a Nobel Peace Prize is to win one outright-a possibility he has openly coveted for years.
