WASHINGTON, D.C.: Despite the Nobel Institute stating that a Nobel Prize winner could not hand over the award to anyone else, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on January 15.

This is after Trump questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.

"I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done so "as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom."

Trump confirmed later on social media that Machado had left the medal for him to keep.

"She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done," Trump said in his post. "Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!"

Trump has raised questions about how strongly he supports democracy in Venezuela and did not give any timeline for new elections. Machado said he did not provide many details about this during their meeting.

After the private meeting, Machado went outside near the White House gates, where many supporters were waiting and cheering. She hugged several people and told them, "We can count on President Trump," without giving more explanation.

Before visiting Washington, Machado had not appeared in public since traveling to Norway last month, where her daughter accepted a peace prize on her behalf. Machado had spent 11 months in hiding in Venezuela before going to Norway after the ceremony.

The happy scene outside the White House was very different from the situation in Venezuela. Rodríguez still runs the day-to-day government with other close allies of Maduro. In her first State of the Union speech on January 15, the interim president supported restarting diplomatic relations with former rivals and opening the state oil industry to more foreign investment, after Trump said he would take control of Venezuelan oil sales.

Trump has said it would be hard for Machado to lead because she lacks sufficient support or respect within the country. However, many believe her party won the 2024 election, which Maduro rejected.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Machado "a remarkable and brave voice," but said the meeting did not change Trump's opinion of her, calling his view "realistic."

Leavitt said Trump supports holding new elections in Venezuela "when the time is right," but did not say when that would be. She also said Machado asked for the meeting and did not expect any specific outcome. Machado spent about two and a half hours at the White House.