The presentation of a Nobel Peace Prize medal to former US President Donald Trump at the White House has been met with fierce condemnation in Norway, with political leaders labelling the gesture "absurd" and damaging to the award's prestige.
A Controversial Presentation
On Thursday, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado presented Donald Trump with her Nobel peace prize medal. The event was documented in a photograph shared by the White House, showing the medal displayed in a large gold frame alongside a plaque. The accompanying text stated it was given as a "personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela."
Machado, who made a secret journey from Venezuela to receive the award in Oslo just last month, said the gift was "in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to] our freedom." Several hours after the meeting, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, stating Machado "presented me with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect."
Immediate Rejection from Nobel Organisers
The act was swiftly countered by the organisers of the prestigious award. Both the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated a fundamental rule: the prize "cannot be revoked, shared or transferred." The Nobel Peace Center reinforced this on social media, clarifying that while "a medal can change owners, the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot."
This statement was a direct response to the event, coming after Machado had first revealed her plan to give the medal to Trump. The committee had originally awarded Machado the prize for her long struggle for democracy against what they described as Nicolás Maduro’s "brutal, authoritarian state." In the time since the award ceremony, a US-led intervention has seen Maduro removed from power, with Venezuela's vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, assuming control.
Norwegian Politicians Voice Fury and Embarrassment
The reaction from Norwegian political figures was one of unified dismay. Kirsti Bergstø, leader of Norway's Socialist Left party, called the situation "above all, absurd," firmly stating that "The peace prize cannot be given away." She pointed to Trump's past threats to invade Greenland as evidence of why he was an unworthy recipient, suggesting it "would have been madness to award him the prize."
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, leader of the Centre party, offered a scathing character assessment of Trump. "The fact that Trump accepted the medal says something about him as a type of person: a classic showoff who wants to adorn himself with other people’s honours and work," he said.
The most severe warning came from Raymond Johansen, the former Labour governing mayor of Oslo. He described the situation as "unbelievably embarrassing and damaging" in a Facebook post. Johansen expressed deep concern that Machado's actions could politicise and devalue the Nobel peace prize, potentially legitimising "an anti-peace prize development." He concluded with a pointed question: "What on earth is the Nobel committee going to say?"
The Norwegian foreign ministry declined to comment, emphasising the prize's independence from government and directing inquiries to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which did not immediately provide further comment.
