Trump snubbed as María Corina Machado wins 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

Donald Trump spent months insisting he deserved a Nobel Peace Prize, but when the 2025 award was announced, it went instead to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her courageous campaign to restore democracy. The decision drew global attention—and left Trump fuming on the sidelines.

Throughout the year, Trump has highlighted his record as a dealmaker, boasting of foreign policy wins and peace initiatives. During a meeting with Israeli leaders, he said, “They’ll never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it, but they’ll never give it to me.” Later, he claimed to have “ended six wars,” citing diplomatic agreements he says he personally brokered.

Speculation had put Trump among the frontrunners for the award, but the Nobel Committee ultimately honored Machado, recognizing her long struggle against Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime.

In its official statement, the Committee praised Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her fight for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Machado, once an engineer and now a leading opposition figure, has continued to challenge Maduro despite being banned from elections and facing harassment. Her recognition strengthens Venezuela’s democratic movement while angering the ruling government. The Nobel ceremony will take place on December 10 in Oslo.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to promote his Middle East “peace plan,” claiming progress between Israel and Hamas, though experts warn that fighting and occupation still threaten any lasting peace.

Ultimately, Machado’s Nobel win underscores a global appreciation for genuine democratic courage—while Trump’s claims of being “owed” the prize highlight his ongoing obsession with recognition and legacy.