President Donald Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize this year, but he has nonetheless ended up in possession of the award’s iconic gold medal.

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, presented her medal to Trump during a private White House meeting Thursday. The gesture was made in appreciation for the U.S. military operation on Jan. 3 that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.

Trump acknowledged the gift in a post on his social media platform, calling the meeting an honor and praising Machado’s resilience. He shared a photograph of himself alongside Machado and the medal but did not indicate what he plans to do with it.

In a television interview later that day, Machado said she offered the medal because she believes Trump deserves the recognition for supporting Venezuela’s push toward democratic change. She described the presentation as a symbolic act on behalf of the Venezuelan people.

Despite the exchange, the Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated that Machado remains the sole official recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The institute emphasized that Nobel Prizes cannot be transferred or shared, even if the physical medal changes hands.

Machado had previously dedicated her award to Trump, crediting his backing of her democracy movement. The Nobel committee honored her for advancing democratic rights in Venezuela, selecting her over Trump, who has openly sought recognition for his involvement in resolving international conflicts.

Speaking to reporters after meetings on Capitol Hill, Machado drew a historical parallel, likening her gift to symbolic gestures exchanged between revolutionary figures of the past. She said the medal was meant to express gratitude from the Venezuelan people for what she described as Trump’s role in liberating their country from authoritarian rule.

The meeting underscored a convergence of political interests: Machado hopes to lead a future democratically elected Venezuelan government, while Trump continues to seek acknowledgment for his foreign policy interventions. Though he does not hold the Nobel title, he now possesses the prize’s most visible symbol — the 18-karat gold medal bearing Alfred Nobel’s likeness and an engraving representing international unity.