U.S. President Donald Trump reacted Friday to the gesture of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who dedicated part of her speech to him after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, assuring that it was a “very kind” act and that she “knows who really brought peace to the world”.
The Republican president, who had been one of the names mentioned as possible candidates for this year’s Nobel Prize, spoke on the subject during a press conference at the White House, where he took the opportunity to reiterate his conviction that he deserved international recognition for his role in mediating several international conflicts.
Trump thanks María Corina Machado
‘Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Corina Machado Dedicates Award To Donald Trump’ pic.twitter.com/58OlIb80aC
– The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 10, 2025
“The person who received the Nobel Prize today called me and said, ‘I’m accepting this in your honor, because you really deserved it.’ A very nice thing for him to do,” Trump told reporters, referring to Machado.
María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and central figure of the democracy movement in her country, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “courageous defense of freedom, human rights and democracy in Latin America,” according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
During her speech in Oslo, the Venezuelan politician made a brief reference to the US president, noting that “without international pressure and the support of allies like the United States, Venezuela would not have advanced towards the recovery of its freedom”. Although she did not mention Trump by name, close sources confirmed that the two maintained private communication in the hours following the ceremony.
The gesture was interpreted by analysts as an attempt to acknowledge the influence that the Trump Administration has exerted in Latin American politics, especially in the case of Venezuela, where Washington imposed economic sanctions and supported the democratic transition process.
Trump insists on his own legacy of peace
The president used the occasion to reiterate that his administration has “resolved more conflicts than any other in modern history,” citing his mediations between Serbia and Kosovo, Egypt and Ethiopia, and his recent Middle East peace initiative.
“I’ve worked for peace more than many of those who have received awards,” Trump said. “It’s not the trophy that’s important, it’s the results, and the results are there.”
He also stressed that his goal remains “to put an end to useless wars” and “to protect world stability through force”.
Divided reactions in Washington
While his supporters applauded the statements, Democrats and some international observers called them an “attempt to politicize a recognition that should transcend governments”.
For its part, the White House confirmed that Trump personally called Machado to congratulate her on the award, in a conversation that – according to official sources – “took place in a cordial tone of mutual respect”.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 places María Corina Machado as the first Venezuelan to receive it and one of the few Latin American figures to have won it in recent decades, together with personalities such as Rigoberta Menchú and Juan Manuel Santos.
With her gesture towards Trump, the Venezuelan leader marked a symbolic meeting point between two ideologically different leaders, but who -as she stated- “coincide in the defense of freedom against authoritarian regimes”.
The person who received the Nobel Prize today called me and said, 'I'm accepting this in your honor, because you really deserved it.' That was very kind of him
Presidente Trump
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