Looks like Donald Trump just can’t resist weighing in even when he’s not the one taking home the prize. The U.S. President has finally broken his silence on the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize — awarded to Venezuelan democracy leader María Corina Machado, and his reaction has everyone talking. Trump, who’s never hidden his burning desire to snag the coveted award himself, congratulated Machado but couldn’t resist hinting that he was the real reason she won. During a Friday night chat with reporters, Trump revealed that Machado actually called him after her big win, and apparently, she didn’t hold back her praise.
“The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it,’” Trump said proudly, adding that it was “a very nice thing to do.” And then came the moment everyone’s quoting, Trump’s five little words that said it all – “Then give it to me.” He later clarified, with a grin, that he was only joking: “A very nice thing to do. I didn’t, I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though I think she might have. She was very nice.”
Of course, Donald Trump couldn’t resist reminding everyone that he’s been helping Machado and her movement for years. “I’ve been helping her along the way,” he said. “They need a lot of help in Venezuela, it’s a basic disaster.” The president went on to suggest his own peace efforts, especially his much-hyped Middle East deal, might finally land him the Nobel next year. “So, and you could also say it was given out for ’24 and I was running for office in ‘24,” he added, half-seriously.
While Trump was busy playing it cool, his team wasn’t nearly as composed. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung slammed the Nobel Committee, accusing it of “placing politics over peace.” “He has the heart of a humanitarian,” Cheung gushed. “There will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.”
Even Vladimir Putin reportedly praised Trump’s diplomatic work in Gaza, calling his peace efforts “commendable.” Trump’s supporters have long argued that he deserves the Nobel for ‘ending seven wars’ and brokering the Abraham Accords. But timing wasn’t on his side — nominations closed just 11 days into his second term.
And of course, Trump didn’t miss the chance to drag his favorite target, Barack Obama, back into the mix. “Obama got a prize, he didn’t even know what, he got elected, and they gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country,” Trump sneered.
Obama, meanwhile, subtly shaded Donald Trump in his own congratulatory message to Machado, writing that her win should “remind those of us lucky enough to live in America that we have a solemn responsibility to preserve and defend our democratic traditions.”
Machado herself later confirmed she spoke to Donald Trump, dedicating her award “to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.” So, while Machado officially has the medal, Trump clearly wants the credit, and he’s not biting his tongue about it.
