Trump Rejects Support for María Corina Machado During White House Meeting: «She Lacks Respect and Backing»

Original article: Portazo a María Corina Machado en la Casa Blanca: Donald Trump insiste en que «no tiene apoyo ni respeto»

The U.S. government spokesperson made it clear that Trump «has not changed» his rejection of Machado as a potential leader of the Caribbean country, while the far-right Venezuelan opposition figure presented the Republican magnate with the Nobel Peace Prize medal she received in Oslo last December amid severe controversy.

The United States government reiterated on Thursday that María Corina Machado «lacks support and respect» in Venezuela while the far-right opposition leader met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

Administration spokesperson Karoline Leavitt reported that the president maintains his previous assessment of Machado after being questioned at a press conference about a potential change of opinion.

According to Leavitt, Trump’s stance is based on a «realistic evaluation, grounded in what the president was reading and hearing from his advisors and national security team.»

«At this moment, his opinion on the matter has not changed,» the spokesperson emphasized.

Machado arrived alone, dressed in white, around noon for a lunch with the U.S. president, entering through a side door instead of the main entrance designated for heads of state and high-ranking officials.

The closed-door meeting took place in the dining room adjacent to the Oval Office, without the presence of cameras or reporters, which is unusual for the Republican magnate.

Additionally, it was scheduled to partially coincide with the press conference held by spokesperson Leavitt.

This meeting, the first between the two, occurred nearly two weeks after a military attack carried out by U.S. forces against Venezuela, which resulted in over a hundred deaths among civilians and military personnel, along with dozens of injuries.

The bombings ordered by Trump were reported during the early hours of January 3 in Caracas and some areas of La Guaira, Aragua, and Miranda states, culminating in the kidnapping of the constitutional president of the Caribbean nation, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Following Maduro’s transfer and the forced absence of the president, the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) appointed the executive vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as the acting president of Venezuela.

The day before her lunch with Machado, the White House resident referred to Rodríguez as a «wonderful person» with whom the United States «works very well» since she assumed the interim presidency.

This stance contrasts sharply with his opinion of the far-right opposition leader, whom Trump has dismissed, making it clear that she lacks leadership in Venezuela.

«I think it would be very difficult for her (Machado) to be the leader. She does not have support or respect in the country. She is a very nice woman, but she lacks the necessary respect,» the president stated during a press conference on January 3, hours after the attacks on the Caribbean nation.

Machado Presents Trump with a ‘Nobel Peace Prize’ Medal

The meeting lasted just over two hours, during which Machado presented Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal she received in Oslo last December amid significant controversy, particularly for promoting a military attack and intervention against her own country.

«I presented the President of the United States with the Nobel Peace Prize medal,» she declared outside the U.S. Capitol after the meeting.

This gesture was perceived as an attempt by the Venezuelan far-right representative to ingratiate herself with the U.S. president due to his well-known interest in winning that award and the disappointment he experienced in not obtaining it.

«I ENDED 8 WARS without anyone’s help, and Norway, a NATO member, foolishly decided not to award me the Nobel Peace Prize,» the far-right president wrote on his social media last week.

In addition to misspelling the name of the award, he also attributed the decision to all of Norway instead of the five-member committee that selects independently of the Oslo government.

Following the conclusion of the meeting, the Republican took about five hours, another rarity, to post a message on his social media platform, Truth, describing the meeting as «a great honor.»

«She is a wonderful woman who has gone through many hardships. María offered me the Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,» Trump wrote. «It’s a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, María!»

However, he did not provide details about their conversation and did not immediately share a photo of the award, which later emerged in an exclusive from The New York Post and then via a White House publication.

The image shows both of them in the Oval Office, with the magnate smiling broadly while holding the framed medal, which allegedly bears a message of thanks «from the Venezuelan people.»

Upon learning of Machado’s intentions to share the award with Trump, the Nobel Institute reminded that the regulations governing the award prohibit such actions, stating the facts were «clear and well established.»

«Once the Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and remains forever,» they emphasized.