Trump’s First Comment After Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize Win: ‘She Won It for Me’

US President Donald Trump spoke on Friday with Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado shortly after the 2025 award announcement. He said Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado called him to say she accepted the award in his honor. “She said that I’m accepting this in honor of you because you really deserved it,” Trump told supporters, adding that she was “very nice” and that he had been “helping her along the way.” Earlier, Machado expressed gratitude to Trump in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais and dedicated her prize “to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.” The Nobel Committee awarded Machado for her efforts to achieve a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela. The opposition leader has long championed “ballots over bullets,” advocating for democratic reform despite facing personal danger. Machado was forced into hiding during President Nicolas Maduro’s crackdown on dissent, and her advocacy has drawn global attention to human rights issues in the country. Related News | ‘Nobel Committee Chose Politics Over Peace’: White House Reacts After Trump Loses PrizeUS Administration Criticizes Nobel CommitteeDespite Trump’s private praise, the White House publicly reacted critically to Machado’s win. Communications director Steven Cheung said the committee “proved they place politics over peace.” Other Trump allies, including Richard Grenell, dismissed the Nobel Prize as having “died years ago.” Analysts suggest the committee’s decision may be a deliberate signal to encourage peaceful political change in Venezuela rather than military intervention, indirectly critiquing US policy. Related News | Why Not Trump? What Chairman of Nobel Peace Prize Committee Said | WATCHLawmakers Who Nominated MachadoMachado was nominated for the Nobel Prize by a group of US lawmakers, including Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz. In a 2024 letter, they praised her courage, moral leadership, and commitment to democracy, calling her “a most deserving candidate for this prestigious award.” Rubio has previously described Machado as “the personification of resilience, tenacity, and patriotism,” noting she has never backed down in her fight for a free and democratic Venezuela. Related News | Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize Hit By Controversy; Betting Probe Launched Into PolymarketTrump has previously spoken publicly about Machado, calling her a “freedom fighter” and emphasizing the need to keep her safe. The president’s administration has also repeatedly denounced Maduro and maintained a strong military presence in the region, in what many view as an effort to counter Venezuelan government influence.