Payam Javan: President Donald Trump revealed on October 10 that he received a heartfelt call from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was recently awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. During the call, Machado told Trump she was accepting the prestigious honor in his name, acknowledging that he truly deserved the recognition. Trump described the gesture as “a very nice thing to do” while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, emphasizing the significance of her acknowledgment.
The conversation came amid widespread criticism from the Trump administration regarding the Nobel Committee’s decision to award Machado instead of the president. White House communications director Steven Cheung publicly stated that “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” highlighting the administration’s belief that Trump’s peace-building efforts warranted the prize. Trump has been credited with mediating an end to eight armed conflicts during his second term, including wars between Congo and Rwanda, escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, and most notably, the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Despite the recognition Trump has received from world leaders and officials advocating for his Nobel Peace Prize, the nomination window presents a technical obstacle. Nominations opened in mid-October 2024 and closed on January 31, 2025, just days into Trump’s second term. This timing meant that much of his peacemaking work occurred after the deadline. However, Trump remained philosophical about the situation, telling reporters, “I’m happy, because they saved millions of lives, many millions of lives,” referring to the impact of the peace agreements he helped broker.
With 338 candidates nominated for this year’s prize—244 individuals and 94 organizations—the competition was fierce. Machado, who has been in hiding since January following her failed 2024 presidential run against Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, will receive her award on December 10 in Oslo, including the iconic Nobel medal, diploma, and cash prize. As the nomination window for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize opens this month, speculation grows that Trump’s extensive peace efforts since January could position him as a strong contender for the 2026 award.
