Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, presented her award medal to former U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on January 15, 2026. Machado stated that her gesture was a 'recognition for his unique commitment with (Venezuela's) freedom,' a claim Trump corroborated through a post on Truth Social, where he announced he had 'accepted' the prize from her. This event, involving a significant political figure and a prestigious international award, quickly drew global attention. Following Machado's presentation, the Nobel Foundation issued a definitive statement on January 18, 2026, clarifying that Nobel Prizes 'cannot, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.' The Foundation emphasized its core mission to 'safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration' and to uphold Alfred Nobel's will, which stipulates that prizes are awarded to those who 'have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.' While acknowledging that laureates are free to dispose of the physical medal, diploma, or prize money, the Norwegian Nobel Committee further reiterated that the honor and recognition of the prize itself remain 'inseparably linked' to the original laureate and cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked. This clarification underscores that despite the physical exchange, the esteemed title of Nobel Peace Prize laureate remains exclusively with María Corina Machado.