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Donald Trump thanks ‘wonderful woman’ Machado after she presents him Nobel Peace Prize
This comes after Donald Trump had questioned Maria Corina Machado’s credibility to take over her country after the US “captured” President Nicolas Maduro.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked Maria Corina Machado after the Venezuelan opposition leader “presented” the Republican leader with her Nobel Peace Prize during the duo’s meeting at the White House.
This comes after Trump had questioned Machado’s credibility to take over her country after the US “captured” President Nicolas Maduro in a dead in the night operation a couple of weeks ago.
“I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done so "as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Trump confirmed later on social media that Machado had left the medal for him to keep, and he said it was an honour to meet her.
“She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, María!” Trump said in his post on Truth Social.
The Nobel Institute has said Machado could not give her prize to Trump, an honour that he has repeatedly coveted.
It was extraordinary, even if symbolic, given that Trump has effectively sidelined Machado, who has long been the face of resistance in Venezuela. He has signalled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro’s second in command.
Trump has raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela, giving no timetable on when elections might be held. Machado indicated that he had provided few specifics on that front during their discussion. However, she did not provide any further information about what was said.
What Maria Corina Machado said after meeting Donald Trump
Before her visit to Washington, Maria Corina Machado had not been seen in public since she travelled to Norway last month, where her daughter received the peace prize on her behalf. She had spent 11 months in hiding in Venezuela before she appeared in Norway after the ceremony.
After the closed-door meeting, Machado greeted dozens of cheering supporters waiting for her near the White House gates, stopping to hug many.
“We can count on President Trump,” she told them without elaborating, prompting some to briefly chant, “Thank you, Trump.”
Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country.” Her party is widely believed to have won the 2024 elections, which Maduro rejected.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Machado “a remarkable and brave voice” but also said the meeting didn’t mean Trump’s opinion of her changed, calling it “a realistic assessment.”
