Fact Check: Can the Nobel Prize be transferred to Donald Trump?

The Norwegian Nobel Institute addressed the issue days before Machado visited the White House

PUBLISHED JAN 17, 2026

Maria Corina Machado handing over the Nobel Peace Prize gold medal to Trump is not valid (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: A debate has sparked online after María Corina Machado, the opposition leader of Venezuela and last year’s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, presented her award to President Donald. Netizens are now questioning the act, asking if such a prestigious award can be transferred easily. Let us examine the speculations and fact-check them.

Claim: Can a Nobel Prize be transferred?

Maria Corina Machado visited the White House and presented Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during their meeting (Getty Images)

On Thursday, January 15, Machado handed over the Nobel Peace Prize gold medal, which she won last year, to Trump, who openly pitched for the award time and again. Trump accepted it gleefully at the White House and called it a ‘wonderful gesture.’

Machado had previously hinted that she might give her 2025 award to Trump.

This is the first time that an awardee voluntarily handed over the medal, sparking debates about its possibility.

Fact Check: The Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred

OSLO, NORWAY - DECEMBER 10: A plaque depicting Alfred Nobel at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony 2008 in Oslo City Hall on December 10, 2008 in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 to Martti Ahtisaari for his important efforts, on several continents and more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. The Nobel Peace Prize is one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. His will stated that the prize should be awarded by a committee of five people elected by the Norwegian Parliament. The Peace Prize is presented annually in Oslo, Norway, in the presence of the king, on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) — A plaque depicting Alfred Nobel at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony 2008 in Oslo City Hall on December 10, 2008, in Oslo, Norway (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The Norwegian Nobel Institute addressed the issue days before Machado visited the White House.

In response to Machado’s hint, the institute reiterated on Sunday, January 11, that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked.

“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.

Citing the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, the institute said that appeals are not allowed once the winner’s name is announced. It also noted that Nobel Committees do not comment on the actions or statements of laureates after receiving the award.

María Corina Machado says Trump 'deserves' the Nobel Prize

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is seen on Capitol Hill following a meeting with lawmakers on January 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. Machado has called for Democratic Unitary Platform candidate Edmundo González, who is widely considered to be the winner of the 2024 election, to assume the presidency of Venezuela following the January 03, 2026 capture and arrest of Nicolas Maduro by the United States military. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images) — Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is seen on Capitol Hill following a meeting with lawmakers on January 15, 2026, in Washington, DC (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

Machado, 58, said she handed Trump, 79, the medal in a framed presentation 'on behalf of the people of Venezuela.'

While the committee maintained that the prize itself was not transferable, Machado clarified that she chose to honor the president personally.

“I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” she said.

Trump later shared a photo on Truth Social, the social media he owns, showing himself with Machado in the Oval Office, holding the medal.

Trump hosted Machado for a private lunch that lasted about two-and-a-half hours. Machado described the meeting as carrying significant weight.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had to speak with President Trump, something I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,” she said.

Machado added that she acted on behalf of Venezuelans who 'appreciate so much what he has done for not only the freedom of the Venezuelan people, but the whole hemisphere.'