White House says Nobel Foundation should stop trolling Trump and recognize his ‘unprecedented accomplishments’

The White House said the Nobel Foundation has repeatedly mentioned Donald Trump in recent days but has not acknowledged his ‘unprecedented achievements’.

White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the Nobel Foundation after Trump accepted the prestigious Peace Prize from Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Cheung accused the foundation of playing politics rather than acknowledging the president’s efforts to end the wars and ultimately win the medal.

“The Nobel Foundation has now published numerous statements/comments about President Trump (who rightfully deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace to at least eight wars),” Cheung wrote on X on Sunday.

‘Instead of trying to play politics, they should highlight the president’s unprecedented achievements.’

Cheung’s rebuke came just hours after the Nobel Foundation issued its carefully worded public statement emphasizing that Nobel Prizes cannot be transferred, even symbolically.

The statement follows a high-profile Oval Office meeting attended by Trump and Machado last week.

‘One of the main tasks of the Nobel Foundation is to protect the reputation of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. “The Foundation supports Alfred Nobel’s will and its terms,” ​​he wrote.

The White House publicly criticized the Nobel Foundation for rejecting the symbolic transfer of the Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump

The Nobel Foundation stated that Nobel Prizes cannot be assigned or transferred, even symbolically, under Alfred Nobel’s will.

‘It states that the awards will be given “to those who have brought the greatest benefit to humanity” and specifies who has the right to bestow the relevant rewards.

‘Therefore, a prize cannot be transferred or distributed, even symbolically.’

The foundation’s statement came after Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, presented Trump with his Nobel Peace Prize medal during a private meeting at the White House on Thursday; it was clearly framed symbolically by him.

“I presented the Nobel Peace Prize medal to the president of the United States,” Machado later told reporters.

He said he did this ‘in recognition of his unparalleled commitment to our freedom’.

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

‘She’s a wonderful woman who’s been through a lot. “María presented me with the Nobel Peace Prize for my work,” Trump wrote. ‘A wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!’

The White House later released a photo of Machado standing next to Trump in the Oval Office, holding the medal on a large framed screen.

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Maria Corina Machado for her work defending democratic rights in Venezuela.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado flies the flag in January 2025

Trump is seen with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung (file photo)

The text inside the frame read: ‘Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the people of Venezuela in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.’

The Nobel Foundation quickly moved to shut down any insinuation that the prize itself had been transferred or that Trump had become an unofficial recipient.

According to Nobel rules, the Peace Prize is awarded only by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and recipients have exclusive ownership of the honour.

In the foundation’s statement, it was emphasized that the rules apply even to symbolic gestures.

Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for what the committee described as his “tireless work supporting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and his fight to ensure a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

The award also carries more than $1 million in prize money.

Machado had previously announced that he planned to dedicate the award in part to Trump; this was a nod to his administration’s pressure campaign against Venezuela’s former leadership.

Although Trump has more recently questioned his political viability and signaled an openness to interaction with Venezuela’s existing power structure, he has said the president’s actions have been decisive in advancing his cause.

In December, Trump received FIFA’s newly created Peace Prize for actions cited as promoting peace and unity around the world.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino handed the World Cup trophy to Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House last August

Trump has never hidden his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize and has frequently argued that his role in reducing or ending global conflicts has not been recognized by international institutions.

The dispute comes just weeks after Trump was awarded a different international award; His allies now point to this award as validation of his record.

In December, Trump was awarded the newly created FIFA Peace Prize in the 2026 World Cup draw.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented Trump with the medal and praised his diplomatic efforts.

“This is a beautiful medal for you that you can wear wherever you want to go,” Infantino told Trump during the ceremony.

The certificate accompanying the award recognized Trump’s actions to ‘promote peace and unity around the world’, with Infantino telling him directly: ‘You certainly deserve the first FIFA Peace Prize for your action and what you have achieved along the way.’

Wearing the medal around his neck, Trump described this honor as “one of the greatest honors of my life” and said, “The world is a safer place now.”