‘Prize cannot be passed on, even symbolically’: Nobel Foundation reiterates; snubs Trump again
The Nobel Foundation on Sunday reiterated that Nobel Prizes cannot be passed on—even symbolically—days after clarifying that a laureate cannot share the prize with others or transfer it once it has been announced.In a post on X, the Foundation said it upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations, which state that the prizes are to be awarded to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,” and clearly define who has the authority to award each prize. “A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” the post noted.The clarification follows remarks by self-exiled Venezuelan opposition leader and last year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, who met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday and “presented” her Nobel medal to him. Machado described the gesture as a form of recognition for Trump’s support for Venezuelan freedom and democratic efforts.“I presented the President of the United States the medal—the Nobel Peace Prize—and I told him this: 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simón Bolívar a medal with George Washington’s face on it. Bolívar kept that medal for the rest of his life. It was given as a symbol of brotherhood to showcase the relationship between the people of the US and Venezuela,” she told reporters.“Two hundred years on, the people of Bolívar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal, in this case the Nobel Peace Prize medal, as recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom,” she added.Trump acknowledged the gesture in a post on Truth Social, calling it “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.” “It was my great honor to meet Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!” the post read.Earlier, on January 16, the official Nobel Prize website clarified that “a laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced.” It added that a Nobel Peace Prize can never be revoked, that the decision is final for all time, and that the Norwegian Nobel Committee does not comment on the day-to-day political activities of laureates.Trump had made an unsuccessful bid for the Nobel Peace Prize last year, claiming to have helped resolve multiple conflicts since beginning his second and final term as president in January 2025. Several countries had nominated him for the award.(With ANI inputs)
