Camilla Jessen
A Nobel Peace Prize entered the White House and its owner left with a gift bag.
Last week, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado visited the White House and presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal.
The award, which she received for her role in promoting democracy in Venezuela, was handed over in a framed display with a personal message addressed to the president.
The inscription praised Trump’s “extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength, advancing diplomacy, and defending liberty and prosperity.”
Machado departed the White House carrying a Trump-branded gift bag.
Trump and the Nobel
Trump has long expressed frustration over not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, an award previously given to presidents including Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter. He has repeatedly claimed credit for ending multiple wars and has publicly criticized the Nobel Committee.
Machado’s decision to physically hand over her medal drew sharp reactions online, though the Nobel Foundation has stressed that ownership of the medal does not transfer the title itself.
“A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the Nobel Peace Center said on X.
What’s in the bag
The contents of the gift bag given to Machado have not been officially disclosed.
However, Page Six reported that similar bags distributed at Trump’s second-term inauguration in January 2025 may offer clues.
Those gift bags reportedly included a medal featuring Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a large red leather journal embossed with a gold illustration of the US Capitol, a red leather commemorative coin, and a sparkling White House Christmas ornament.
There has been no confirmation that Machado received the same items.
According to CNN, Machado hopes the gesture will strengthen US backing for her leadership ambitions in Venezuela following the removal of former president Nicolas Maduro, who was recently captured.
Sources: CNN, Page Six, Nobel Peace Center, Newsner
