Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal during their Jan. 15 meeting at the White House, an extraordinary gesture to try to earn Trump's backing.
Machado, speaking to reporters after the meeting ended, said she gave Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal, which Trump has long coveted, "as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom." She did not say whether Trump accepted the medal.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The meeting was held as Machado is seeking Trump's approval to have a role in the Venezuelan government following the United States' Jan. 3 attack on Venezuela and capture of the country's president, Nicolás Maduro. Trump has instead embraced Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's vice president, as the next leader, praising her cooperation as the United States begins to sell Venezuelan oil.