US President Donald Trump has sparked backlash after trying to claim Maria Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize as his own. Accordingly, X users have branded him “pathetic”:
The only thing more pathetic than this situation is how hard he’s smiling about it. pic.twitter.com/xQAyLUqVM1
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) January 16, 2026
Finders’ keepers
Trump took to social media to celebrate Venezuelan opposition leader Machado presenting him with her Peace Prize medal. He described it as a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect”.
This is the latest power grab by US President’s after calling dibs on Venezuelan oil — what some might call theft — and threatening to takeover Greenland. The key benefactor, for now, is Trump’s ego.
From the start, awarding the prize to Machado sparked controversy, with our own Ed Sykes exposing how the “peace prize” long served US resource grabs.
María Machado
gives her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump
A partner in the Gaza
genocide & the murder of 20,000 children
Who has normalised piracy, annexation and regime change
Who’s team of ICE ‘blackshirts’ murder mums to ‘control’ immigration
A racist gangster
Insane. pic.twitter.com/ekDbkqaNzU
— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) January 16, 2026
This post exposes the president’s clear mission of self-interest and disregard of traditional rules.
Well, that’s just illegal as fuck.
The Executive Branch has *ZERO* authority to control or manage funds – let alone offshore ones.
There is no world in which the US actually sees that money again.
Trump purely enriching himself. https://t.co/S4TVyP7Zdz
— Adam Cochran (adamscochran.eth) (@adamscochran) January 16, 2026
On X, however, people have pointed out that the acclaimed prize has to be earned.
The Nobel Committee just shut the door on the debate:
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
No rewrites, no do-overs; history keeps its receipts.
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 16, 2026
At least Trump’s latest ‘acquisition’ is providing some laughs:
Grinning like a 5-year old getting his participation trophy at the post-season T-ball pizza party. pic.twitter.com/gOZYxki6OI
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 16, 2026
Congrats to President Trump for winning the inaugural Make-A-Wish Participation Peace Prize today pic.twitter.com/odkJtswRuJ
— gino.eth
(@GinoTheGhost) January 16, 2026
Marking his own homework
The US President clearly doesn’t believe that he has to win the Nobel Peace Prize through the traditional means of earning the award. He thinks he can take it from someone who clearly needs him more than he needs her — arguably a characteristic of the US’ foreign policy more generally.
In fact, the norm-breaking president backed the Venezuelan VP rather than his far-right pick, Machado, which shows that his political support was motivated more by self-interest than ideology.
Someone should really tell Trump that praise and respect aren’t commodities — you can’t buy or blackmail your way into them.
Featured image via the Canary
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