President Donald Trump was handed the Nobel Peace Prize he has been whining about for so many months—only to seemingly forget the name of the woman who passed hers on to him just hours earlier.
In a media huddle outside the White House, the 79-year-old president was asked why he has yet to support María Corina Machado’s bid for Venezuelan leadership.
“I had a great meeting yesterday by a person who I have a lot of respect for and she has respect, obviously, for me and our country and she gave me her Nobel Prize,” Trump said, notably avoiding her name.
“I’ll tell you what, I got to know her, I never met her before, and I was very, very impressed. She’s a really—this is a fine woman.”
President Donald Trump speaks to the press before leaving the White House for Palm Beach, Florida, on Jan. 16, 2026.
On social media, several commentators noted that it appeared as though Machado’s name had slipped the president’s mind.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Machado, leader of the opposition to Nicolás Maduro’s government, has been vying for power in the South American nation following the U.S. gunpoint abduction of Maduro at the start of the month.
Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Rune Hellestad/Getty Images
However, despite claiming Maduro was operating a “cartel,” the Trump administration left his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, running the country, along with virtually all of his government.
White House insiders have said that Trump has so far refused to back Machado’s campaign because his feelings are still hurt that the 58-year-old politician did not turn down her Nobel Peace Prize in favor of Trump—who was ineligible for the prize in 2025.
In a desperate effort to placate the near-octogenarian with his habit of pocketing shiny things, Machado offered up her award to him on Thursday “because he deserves it.” Trump, of course, accepted it with glee.
Machado gives Trump her Nobel Peace Prize. The White House
Trump, who will be the oldest U.S. president in history by the end of his second term, has a habit of forgetting things he ought to know, including the names of oceans, promises to voters, and the age of the country he leads.
Speculation about the president’s health has only increased during the first year of this second term in office, with Trump increasingly being seen nodding off during meetings.
While the coveted Nobel Prize was claimed by Trump, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has since reiterated its ruling that prizes cannot be exchanged and the transfer is ultimately meaningless.
Trump celebrated getting someone else’s award on Truth Social. Truth Social
“Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” the committee said. “The decision is final and applies for all time.”
Machado, for her troubles, received a goodie bag of MAGA swag following her meeting with Trump.
While she has clearly gone up in the president’s estimation, it remains to be seen whether the “shameful” capitulation will earn Machado any real political sway in Venezuela—an ambition that would be greatly helped if Trump could only remember her name.
