The Nobel Committee in Oslo has responded to the recent and unusual presentation of a Nobel Peace Prize medal from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado to former U.S. President Donald Trump.The gesture, made during a private meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on January 16, has prompted questions regarding the symbolic value of the prize and its enduring connection to the laureate [[2]]. In a statement released today, the Committee clarified that while the physical medal can change hands, the honor remains permanently linked to the individual recognized by the award.
Nobel Committee Responds to Trump After Medal Presentation
Nobel Committee in Oslo addresses Trump following gift of medal from Venezuelan opposition leader.
January 17, 2026 – 1:20 PMReading Time: 1 Min.
Oslo responds to medal presentation, clarifying the enduring connection between a Nobel laureate and the prize.
The Nobel Committee in Oslo has issued a statement following the presentation of Nobel Peace Prize medalist María Corina Machado to Donald Trump. “The Nobel Prize and the laureate are inextricably linked,” the institute stated on its website. The exchange has sparked debate about the nature of the prize and its legacy.
Without directly addressing Machado’s gesture, the Nobel Committee highlighted similar cases involving past recipients.
The committee detailed instances of laureates whose honors are no longer in their possession or that of their families. This includes Russian journalist and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitri Muratov, who sold his medal to raise funds for Ukrainian refugee children, and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (2001). Annan’s widow subsequently passed the certificate and medal to the UN.
The committee’s list also included Knut Hamsun, the Norwegian Literature laureate in 1920, who sent his medal to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1943. This inclusion presents a stark contrast to the recent presentation to Trump.
“Regardless of what happens to the medal, the certificate, or the prize money, the original laureate remains the one who goes down in history as the recipient of the prize,” the institute emphasized in its statement. The clarification underscores the committee’s view that the honor is tied to the individual, not the physical object.
