On Friday, the Nobel Prize Committee awarded its vaunted Peace Prize to Venezuelan activist María Corina Machado for her opposition to Nicolas Maduro's regime — much to the chagrin of President Donald Trump. Now, the president is claiming Machado nearly offered him the prize in a private phone call.
While speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump claimed to have received a call from Machado, in which she supposedly said he was the one who truly deserved the honor. He then said he openly thought about asking her for the prize and implied she would have agreed if he pressed the issue.
"The person who got the Nobel prize called today and said I am excepting this in honor of you because you really deserve it," Trump said, without mentioning Machado's name. "Very nice thing to do. I did not say then give it to me though. I think she might have."
Trump almost immediately inspired a wave of mockery from various journalists, commentators and other public figures. Attorney and legal analyst Jeffrey Evan Gold fact-checked Trump and said that while Machado mentioned Trump on social media, it was in the context of deepening the Venezuelan opposition's relationship with the U.S. rather than as simple flattery.
"That actually not what she said. She is a smart and selfless lady," Gold posted to X. "No way having Trump resent her will help her people."
"We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy," Machado tweeted upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize. "I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!"
The X account PatriotTakes called Trump a "very sore loser" in response to his claims. Former Chicago Tribune and Associated Press reporter John Biemer sarcastically quipped: "Gracious as always."
"Of all the things that didn’t happen today, this didn’t happen the most," wrote Jeopardy champion Hermant Mehta.
"Did she say 'Sir?'" Tweeted journalist Michael McGough, possibly in reference to Trump's penchant of relaying stories in which supporters supposedly heap compliments on him while fighting back tears in their eyes and calling him "sir."