Trump Holds Call with Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Machado After White House Criticizes Award Decision
US President Donald Trump spoke on Friday with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, shortly after his own administration criticized the decision to award her the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump, who has long expressed interest in receiving the prestigious honor himself, confirmed the conversation during remarks Friday evening. The call came just hours after the Nobel Committee announced that Machado had been selected for her efforts to defend democracy in Venezuela and push for a peaceful transition away from President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule.
Machado revealed in an interview with El País that she had spoken with Trump but chose not to disclose the details of the discussion. She again expressed gratitude to him for his support, similar to her acceptance statement earlier in the day.
Trump later said Machado was “very kind” during their conversation, claiming she told him she was accepting the prize partly in his honor.
“She called me and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you because you truly deserved it,’” Trump recounted. “I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ but maybe she would have. She was very nice.”
Trump also argued that his administration had supported Machado’s cause and suggested the prize could be seen as recognition of his own role in 2024, when he was running for office.
“I’ve been helping her for a long time. Venezuela is a disaster and they need a lot of help,” he said.
White House Reaction: “Politics Over Peace”
Despite Machado praising Trump, his administration responded sharply to the announcement.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung criticized the Nobel Committee, accusing it of political bias:
“The Nobel Committee proved they care more about politics than peace,” Cheung posted on social media.
Who Is María Corina Machado?
Machado has spent years challenging the Maduro regime and advocating democratic reform. She has repeatedly stated her mission is to fight using “ballots over bullets.” Her activism has forced her into hiding amid political repression in Venezuela.
Members of the Trump administration previously supported Machado. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside now-UN Ambassador Mike Waltz and other lawmakers, nominated her for the 2024 Nobel Prize.
In their nomination letter, they praised her “courage, moral conviction, and dedication to democracy.”
Rubio later described her as “the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism.” Trump himself once called her a “freedom fighter who MUST stay SAFE and ALIVE!”
On Friday, Machado dedicated her prize:
“To the suffering people of Venezuela, and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.”
Backlash from Trump Allies
After the decision, not everyone in Trump’s circle celebrated Machado’s win. His envoy to Venezuela, Richard Grenell, declared, “The Nobel Prize died years ago.”
Analysts suggested the Nobel Committee wanted to send a message. Former US National Security Council official Benjamin Gedan told CNN that the award signaled a preference for peaceful political change, not military intervention.
“The US reaction shows frustration—both that Trump didn’t win and that the Nobel Committee criticized US policy,” Gedan said.
Putin Enters the Conversation
Before addressing Machado’s win, Trump publicly thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Trump was “doing a lot” to solve global crises even if he didn’t win the prize.
“Thank you to President Putin!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing a clip of the Russian leader’s remarks.