Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado apparently wants President Trump's endorsement as Venezuela's new leader so badly that she gave her Nobel Peace Prize to him in the Oval Office.
As reported by The Hill, Machado said it was to carry on a tradition between the two countries:
Machado said she told Trump that 200 years ago, the Revolutionary War Gen. Marquis de Lafayette gave Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolivar a medal with President George Washington's likeness on it, and that Bolivar kept the medal for the rest of his life.
'Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,' Machado said.
It had been previously reported that Trump was reluctant to endorse Machado as Venezuela's leader in the wake of Nicolas Maduro being deposed at least in part because she was awarded the Nobel Prize, as he felt he deserved it.
On Thursday, however, Trump was more than willing to accept the gift.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute, the organization that awards the prizes, was not happy, reiterating that once a Nobel Prize has been bestowed on someone, it "cannot be transferred."
Those were the pre-Trump rules, obviously.
While the U.S. has been backing Delcy Rodríguez, who is currently serving as the acting Venezuelan president, it remains to be seen if Machado's generous gift will change the White House's tone.
Either way, Trump is finally the proud recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize…
…kind of.
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