President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Thursday that it would be “a great honor” to accept the (second-hand) Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded last year to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, a remark that quickly sparked mockery and criticism online.
Hannity noted that Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democracy in Venezuela, that she dedicated the award to Trump at the time of her win, and that she told Hannity this week that she wants to personally give Trump her prize “for liberating her country” following the U.S.-led operation that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Machado, whose ability to lead Venezuela has been previously questioned by Trump, is due to visit the U.S. next week. Hannity asked Trump, who for years has thirsted over being awarded the accolade, whether he planned to meet with her and if he would accept “the Nobel Prize she wants to hand to you.”
“Well, I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her,” Trump replied. “And I’ve heard that she wants to do that. That would be a great honor.”
Trump went on to repeat his disputed claim that he’s helped to end eight conflicts and took a swipe at Norway — home of the Nobel committee — calling it a “very big embarrassment” for the country that he has not yet received the prize, even though he (sort of) admitted he didn’t know if the actual nation had anything to do with the selection of the winner.
The comments quickly drew ridicule on social media, with critics calling the idea of Trump receiving someone else’s Nobel Peace Prize “unspeakably pathetic” and “so humiliating.”
