Nobel Peace Center Trolls Trump After White House Photo: “Title Cannot Be Transferred”

The Nobel Peace Center posted a sharply timed message this week reminding the world that Nobel Peace Prizes cannot be handed to someone else, just hours after President Donald Trump posed with a prize medal at the White House.

The post did not name Trump, but the timing and wording made the target hard to miss.

“But one truth remains. As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: ‘Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.'” The post ended with, “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”

The message appeared after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump during a meeting in Washington. The framed medal was displayed in official photos released by the White House.

Trump shared the image on social media and wrote, “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”

Machado has publicly praised Trump and said she wanted to honor him for what she described as his support for Venezuela’s democratic movement. She earlier said, “I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe the Venezuelan people because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people certainly want to to give it to him and share it with him.”

The Nobel Peace Center framed its post as a history lesson on the medal itself. “It measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold. On its face, a portrait of Alfred Nobel and on its reverse, three naked men holding around each other’s shoulders as a sign of brotherhood. A design unchanged for 120 years.”

The center also noted that some medals have changed hands over the years. It cited Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, who auctioned his medal for more than 100 million dollars to support refugees from the war in Ukraine.

Another example mentioned was Christian Lous Lange, Norway’s first Peace Prize winner, whose medal is on loan to the Nobel Peace Center. The post then returned to its main point about the limits of such transfers.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee echoed the same rule in a separate statement..”Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”

Trump has long said he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize and has repeatedly criticized the committee for awarding it to others. He has claimed he ended multiple wars, though those claims have been disputed.

Asked earlier this week about Machado’s offer, Trump told Reuters, “No, I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.” He later accepted the medal anyway, calling the gesture meaningful.

Machado’s move came during a volatile moment for Venezuela, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and a rush by political figures to shape the country’s future. Her visit to Washington included meetings with lawmakers and officials seeking international backing.

The Nobel Peace Center’s post served as that explanation. Without naming Trump, it turned a political photo op into a reminder that prizes are not transferable, even if medals are.

Featured image via X screengrab