President Donald Trump is quietly pulling away from Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado, and people familiar with the situation say the reason is deeply personal. According to White House insiders, Trump’s frustration centers on Machado’s decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, an honor he has long wanted for himself.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one person familiar with Trump’s thinking told the Washington Post. “Her acceptance of the prize was an ‘ultimate sin.’”
Machado later dedicated the award to Trump, but aides say the gesture came too late to repair the damage.
Over the weekend, Trump said he has not yet spoken with Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who emerged after a military coup removed Nicolás Maduro from power.
A day earlier, Trump publicly downplayed Machado’s future, saying “it would be very tough for her to be the leader” and arguing she “doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country.” Those remarks reportedly stunned Machado’s inner circle. Her endorsed candidate, Edmundo González, won more than two–thirds of the vote in last year’s election, a result Maduro refused to recognize by stepping aside.
Inside Washington, officials say Venezuela’s massive oil reserves remain central to Trump’s calculations. The country’s energy wealth gives Rodríguez a strong incentive to engage with the US, but also provides leverage if talks stall.
Maduro’s removal came through Operation “Absolute Resolve,” a military effort Trump has pointed to as evidence of his growing influence abroad. Following events in Caracas, he warned that Cuba, Colombia, and Iran “should be very careful,” signaling a broader hardline posture.
In Venezuela, the armed forces have recognized Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president, as acting president. Machado’s supporters, including prominent Republicans, have rushed to her defense. Representative Carlos Gimenez said she would win an election if one were held today. Florida lawmakers María Elvira Salazar and Mario Díaz-Balart also publicly reaffirmed their backing, calling her central to any democratic transition.
Critics argue that Trump’s stance is driven by personal resentment. Former US ambassador Michael McFaul said Trump threw Machado “under the bus” over the Nobel. Another former White House official was blunter: “The reason it’s not Machado is Trump is petty! Machado took his Nobel Peace Prize.”
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