President Donald Trump was finally handed the Nobel Peace Prize he’s been openly craving for months, and then immediately seemed to blank on the name of the woman who gave it to him. During a media huddle outside the White House, the 79-year-old president was asked why he has yet to support Mar ía Corina Machado’s bid for Venezuelan leadership now that Nicolás Maduro is jailed in New York and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as acting president of the socialist South American nation. U.S. President Donald Trump (Photo: Getty Images) Trump responded by praising the person he met, without actually naming her. “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, noticeably dodging Machado’s name. Trump: "I had a great meeting by a person who I have a lot of respect for. She has respect obviously for me and our country. And she gave me her Nobel Prize, but I'll tell you what — I got to know her. I never met her before. And I was very very impressed. This is a fine woman." pic.twitter.com/OS0nkFPwpD— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 16, 2026 “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,” he continued. On social media, several commentators immediately pointed out what sounded like a familiar Trump slip: he appeared to have forgotten Machado’s name altogether, even as he bragged about the gift. “She gave me a cookie. She’s very nice. I like her. This man is a complete moron. And could be soooooooooo easily manipulated and/or bribed and/or compromised. And has been,” one X user wrote. Machado met with Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, according to news outlets, and a photo released by the White House shows the Venezuelan opposition leader standing beside Trump in the Oval Office as she presents him with her Nobel Peace Prize in what she ndescribed as an act of “recognition and honor.” President Donald J. Trump meets with María Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor. pic.twitter.com/v7pYHjVNVO— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 16, 2026 But while Trump framed the exchange as a flattering tribute, Nobel officials have made clear the honor itself can’t be passed to anyone else — no matter who physically possesses the medal. “A Nobel Prize can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others. Once the announcement has been made, the decision stands for all time,” the Nobel Foundation states on its website. The Nobel Peace Center has also clarified that while a medal may change owners, the title of Peace Prize Laureate does not. The laureate remains the laureate — regardless of who holds the physical prize. ‘Such a Pathological Liar’: CNN Cuts Kristi Noem’s Praise for ICE Agents with Brutal Footage That Humiliates Her in Real Time — and She Never Even Notices The Nobel Committee’s rules aren’t the only potential issue with Trump accepting Machado’s award. Constitutional experts have pointed to the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution — Article I, Section 9 — as another possible legal complication. The clause restricts government officials from accepting “gifts, emoluments, offices, or titles from foreign states and monarchies” without Congressional approval, a safeguard designed to protect federal officials from “corrupting foreign influences.” Courts have not definitively ruled on the full scope of the clause, but its intent broadly bars officeholders, including the president, from receiving a “profit, benefit, advantage or services” that could sway official actions. One Threads user argued Trump’s Nobel moment could raise additional legal questions beyond constitutional ethics. “I’m no constitutional scholar, but I can read. Trump accepting the Nobel prize from Machado, whether the committee allows it or not, is prohibited by the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act and federal bribery statutes,” the user wrote. And in typical internet fashion, it wasn’t just the Nobel drama that drew attention — it was what happened after. As Machado was leaving the White House, she was photographed carrying a red bag. A Threads commentator claimed to know exactly what was inside, fueling a wave of speculation online. “She traded her Nobel peace prize for some TRUMP branded swag,” the user wrote. If the implication is true — that Machado received items of value in exchange for turning over the prize — critics say the situation could cross into far more serious territory. “Like that’ll stop him!! It’s a bribe, pure and simple. Machado is hoping thump will name her President of her blighted country!” another commenter posted. According to the U.S. Justice Department, federal law “prohibits the giving or accepting of anything of value to or by a public official, if the thing is given ‘with intent to influence’ an official act, or if it is received by the official ‘in return for being influenced.’” And now, with Trump publicly boasting about the Nobel handoff — without even saying Machado’s name — critics say the spectacle is beginning to look less like diplomacy and more like an international influence mess hiding in plain sight. ‘A Complete Moron’: Trump Boasts He Finally Got What He’s Been Obsessing Over — Then Stumbles Over the One Detail He Should’ve Known ...read more read less