Invite ye felawes and frendes desirous in gold to enter the gates of Shrewd'm, for they will thanke ye later.
- Manlobbi
Halls of Shrewd'm / US Policy
No. of Recommendations: 4
Machado struggling to remain relevant, with the Pirate King calling the current Venezuelan regime an "ally".
Machado says she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal
U.S. President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday in a high-stakes encounter that could affect how the Republican administration seeks to shape the South American country’s political future.
After the meeting, Machado told reporters she had presented Trump her Nobel Peace Prize, though it was not immediately clear whether he had accepted the medal, which he has long coveted. Machado said she had done so in recognition of his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/15/machado-says-she-p...LOL "not immediately clear whether he had accepted the medal"? I bet he pounced on it at least as fast as he grabbed that fake FIFA "peace prize".
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 5
The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo posted this today.
It measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold. On its face, a portrait of Alfred Nobel and on its reverse, three naked men holding around each other’s shoulders as a sign of brotherhood. A design unchanged for 120 years.
Did you know that some Nobel Peace Prize medals have been passed on after the award was given? A well‑known case is Dmitry Muratov’s medal, which was auctioned for over USD 100 million to support refugees from the war in Ukraine.
And the medal displayed at the Nobel Peace Center is actually on loan and originally belonged to Christian Lous Lange, Norway’s first Peace Prize laureate.
But one truth remains. As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.
https://bsky.app/profile/charlotteclymer.bsky.soci...
No. of Recommendations: 11
A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.
No matter. Trump the Perfect will display it, and tell everyone who stands still long enough, how he was cheated and robbed of the medal that he was entitled to. Poor Trump the Perfect. He's such a victim.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 9
Steve203:
LOL "not immediately clear whether he had accepted the medal"? I bet he pounced on it at least as fast as he grabbed that fake FIFA "peace prize".Umm. There's a photo (link below). It's even more embarrassing than you imagine.
But, if she thought the gift might nudge the president toward providing a clearer endorsement, it appears she may be left waiting, at least for now.
She was later photographed holding a Trump-branded swag bag as she left the White House – with little clarity on her political future.A swag bag.
Maybe if she'd used a bigger, more ornate gold frame, she'd have gotten the endorsement.
Too f*cking funny.
I can say that now. That's how the president talks.
Say, where are the Epstein Files?
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/15/americas/venezu...
No. of Recommendations: 3
Why is the Nobel Peace Prize committee so insecure about all of this?
Are they actually claiming that if they found out someone they awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to was a Nazi child molestor, which they didn't know at the time of the award, there would not be some way they could revoke it?
Nonsense. Of course they would revoke it. If they had to go to court in Norway to change the terms of the Nobel trust in order to revoke a prize for that kind of reason, they would, and the Norway court would obviously let them.
They are angry because Machado giving her Prize to Trump (or "saying" she was giving it to Trump)--actually she just gave him the medallion, right, she didn't give him the monetary award, who knows, who cares?--was, to their ultra leftist minds, worse than throwing it in the garbage can.
And, throwing it in the garbage can is basically saying these stuck-up supercilious Norwegians are not as important as they think themselves to be.
No. of Recommendations: 3
All you lefties are like the Nobel Peace prize committee.
By giving her medallion to Trump, Machado (in your POV) trashes the PRIZE ITSELF--i.e. the intangible "honor" of being recognized by the supercilious arrogant Norwegians as "worthy"--and ELEVATES Trump ABOVE the prize because he's getting it in violation of its rules and it's being awarded by someone who isn't "sposed to" be able to do that.
Kind of like Marlon Brando sending a fraudster non-Indian actress "Sacheem Littlefeather" to reject his Oscar for the Godfather.
It's like spitting in their face.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT TO US. WE ARE THE ELITE. WE ARE THE POWERFUL.
YOU ARE NOTHING. YOU SHINE ONLY BY OUR REFLECTED GLORY.
Machado took all their power away.
That's a very strong woman, they must be misogynists.
No. of Recommendations: 3
Why is the Nobel Peace Prize committee so insecure about all of this?
“why are you so insecure about your weight?”
- asked the man who just reduced his wife to tears after calling her a “fat slob”.
The insecurity lies with Donald Trump who has been trying to strong arm someone into giving him a Nobel Peace Prize for years. He’s still jealous that Obama was given one and he wasn’t.
Nobel Peace Prizes are cast in gold (ah… so that’s why- it will look good in his office with all that gold filagree wallpaper from Lowe’s)
It’s not like he can run down to Kinkos and have a fake copy made like the fake Time magazine cover he made several years ago of him being declared Time’s “Man of the Year”.
If I was on the Nobel Committee, I’d be distancing myself from that nonsense as well.
No. of Recommendations: 6
The fact that Machado is willing to part with a coveted medallion to help her cause is a testimony to her worthiness for the Prize.
The fact that Trump is willing to take it from her is testimony to his lack of worthiness.
Character matters.
No. of Recommendations: 5
A photo released by the White House shows Trump beside Machado, holding a large gold-framed plaque that appeared wall-ready, containing the medal and the dedication: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
OMG. The guy has NO shame. Yes, we already knew that. No wonder the media last night claimed "unclear whether Trump accepted the medal". They didn't want to show the farce.
Maybe if she'd used a bigger, more ornate gold frame, she'd have gotten the endorsement.
Did she bring the medal already mounted, or did Trump's staff have the frame and the fake documents already made? Where is the pic of Machado going in to the White House?
Maybe Trump will lean on someone to give him a Super Bowl ring, so he can claim to be the winning quarterback?
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 3
Maybe Trump will lean on someone to give him a Super Bowl ring, so he can claim to be the winning quarterback?
I seem to recall a Super Bowl ring being up for auction/sale (Ebay??) a few years ago. Once the owner owns it, they can do whatever they want with it. But no one will recognize any claims that a buyer or other recipient after the fact actually earned it. Same with the Medal. Someone may have given it to him, but he didn't earn it, and history will not record that he did.
Kind of an indicator of just how shallow he is. Shiny medal...ooooh...nevermind that everyone knows he didn't earn it, and the Nobel committee has said the honor cannot be transferred.
No. of Recommendations: 12
Kind of an indicator of just how shallow he is. Shiny medal...ooooh...nevermind that everyone knows he didn't earn it, and the Nobel committee has said the honor cannot be transferred.
Remember the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution? Nobody even thinks of it any more. But this is an impeachable offense, one of hundreds in the last year. And by the way, can anyone reconcile the USSC immunity ruling with the Emoluments Clause?
No. of Recommendations: 4
Remember the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution? Nobody even thinks of it any more. But this is an impeachable offense, one of hundreds in the last year. And by the way, can anyone reconcile the USSC immunity ruling with the Emoluments Clause?
The Emoluments Clause is not a criminal provision. Like everything else in the Constitution, violating it is not a crime. If you believe the phrase "high crime or misdemeanor" in the Impeachment Clause refers to actual criminal violations, not merely violating the Constitution, then accepting an emolument would not be grounds for impeachment. Since every President ends up having something they do found to be unconstitutional at some point, it's probably a valid distinction.
It's also worth noting that the Emoluments Clause only prohibits the President from receiving things from foreign governments and heads of state - it doesn't apply to gifts from private individuals. Machado is not currently a "King, Prince or foreign State," and cannot realistically be argued to be acting on behalf of the Venezuelan government - especially since the Nobel Prize was something awarded personally to her, not the country of Venezuela as a State. So, Trump probably didn't violate the Emoluments Clause by accepting her gift.
As for the USSC decision, it's the same thing. The SCOTUS ruling only held that the President is immune from criminal prosecution for acts in office. It doesn't immunize him from civil legal proceedings to enjoin or enforce a violation of the Constitution. Since violating the Emoluments Clause isn't a crime, the SCOTUS ruling doesn't apply. [Note: the President also cannot be held personally liable for damages in civil suits for actions taken in the performance of his office, but that was the law well before the current SCOTUS].
No. of Recommendations: 3
Pretty sure there are actual laws about public employees accepting bribes ("emoluments"). POTUS is a public employee. We hired him (over my strong objections!), and he draws a salary. In principle, we can fire him, too.
No. of Recommendations: 1
Pretty sure there are actual laws about public employees accepting bribes ("emoluments"). POTUS is a public employee. We hired him (over my strong objections!), and he draws a salary. In principle, we can fire him, too.
Sure, but the question was about the Emoluments Clause. If you argue that Machado gave the Nobel to Trump in an effort to literally bribe him, within the meaning of 18 USC 201, then that would be a crime. But as with all things, Trump's shamelessness actually works to his defense, here. When there's actual bribery going on, the participants usually try to conceal it. Machado giving Trump the Nobel medal in public in front of the press corps in an Oval Office meeting filled with people in a huge frame and making sure everyone in the media knows about it...makes it a little difficult to argue that either she or Trump thought of it as an actual bribe for which Machado could be immediately arrested.
As for firing him, the President can only be "fired" for cause. And not for any cause - for "high crimes and misdemeanors" only. Unlike Parliamentary systems, the Congress cannot remove him just for doing a bad job. That's a deliberate choice - early drafts of the Impeachment Clause would have allowed for Congressional removal for maladministration, and those were intentionally changed to limit the Impeachment power to "high crimes and misdemeanors." He's a public employee, but he cannot just be fired because we change our minds about whether we want him to be President anymore (as expressed through Congress).
No. of Recommendations: 1
Same with the Medal. Someone may have given it to him, but he didn't earn it, and history will not record that he did.
I opened the pic in the linked article and magnified it enough to read the "documents" mounted with it. The only clue that he was not awarded by the Nobel committee is the document at the bottom, praising him for his work on behalf of Venezuela, which is signed by Machado.
Steve...bets that bottom document will be "revised" to delete Machado's name.
No. of Recommendations: 1
...makes it a little difficult to argue that either she or Trump thought of it as an actual bribe for which Machado could be immediately arrested.
Is not it a fact that "ignorance of the law is no excuse"? Or is that just on TV?
As for firing him, the President can only be "fired" for cause. And not for any cause - for "high crimes and misdemeanors" only.
I think taking bribes qualifies. Also, can we not recall him (in principle)?
No. of Recommendations: 0
Is not it a fact that "ignorance of the law is no excuse"? Or is that just on TV?
It's not an ignorance issue. It's not a knowledge issue. It's an intent issue.
You're allowed to give gifts to public officials. What you're not allowed to do is give them a gift in exchange for public services. So in a bribery case, you need to be able to prove that the intent of the gift was to induce the officeholder to do something.
So, if the thing of value is a bag of unmarked nonconsecutive bills being handed to the officeholder in the middle of the night on the third floor of an abandoned parking garage, it's pretty consistent with the parties intending that to be a bribe. But if the thing of value is a Nobel medal being handed over in broad daylight in the middle of the Oval Office in front of the press corps, being covered by the global media, in a big frame that clearly says that it was given from Machado to Trump - with zero effort to conceal the gift - it makes it really hard to argue that the parties intended this as an illegal bribe.
Also, can we not recall him (in principle)?
No. There is no recall mechanism for the Presidency. Again, one of the major differences between our system and the Parliamentary system.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Remember the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution? Nobody even thinks of it any more. But this is an impeachable offense, one of hundreds in the last year. And by the way, can anyone reconcile the USSC immunity ruling with the Emoluments Clause?
It is ironic that the conservatives on the Supreme Court are making the court ever more irrelevant. Corrupt governments must have corrupt courts.
No. of Recommendations: 2
Rule of Law except if it's rule of law as interpreted by the Supreme Court of United States.
Then it doesn't count.
Could you be an insurrectionist?
No. of Recommendations: 7
Wish we had a pic of him pouncing on that thing, like he did the fake FIFA "peace prize"
Trump will keep Machado's Nobel Peace Prize: 'She offered it to me'
Asked by a reporter on Jan. 16 as he was about to board Marine One on the White House South Lawn, why he would want someone else's Nobel Prize, Trump said: "Well, she offered it to me."
"I thought it was very nice. She said, 'you know, you've ended eight wars and nobody deserves this prize more than, in history, than you do," he said. "And I thought it was a very nice gesture. And by the way, I think she's a very fine woman. And we'll be talking again."
The Nobel laureate seems to a have taken note of Trump's penchant for gold when she presented her 18-carat gold medal in a large gold frame, with the following inscription: “In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength, Advancing Diplomacy, and Defending Liberty and Property.”
"Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, soon after the Jan. 15 meeting. “Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!.”https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/articles/trum...iirc, Trump latched on to a sports trophy last year, while the team that actually earned the trophy received a replica.
ah, the net is a wonderful thing.
Trump kept FIFA Club World Cup trophy for himself - leaving champions Chelsea to lift a replica
FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the White House, along with the trophy, in March.
“They said, ‘Could you hold this trophy for a little while?’ We put it in the Oval Office,” Trump said. “And then I said, ‘When are you going to pick up the trophy?’ He says, ‘We're never going to pick it up. You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We're making a new one.’”https://sports.yahoo.com/article/trump-kept-fifa-c...I realize that "personal style" may not be really relevant to job performance, but, dang.
Steve
No. of Recommendations: 5
Trump can add it to his Pretty Passel of Purloined Prizes.
The bigger it gets, the more obvious his utter moral failure as a human being
No. of Recommendations: 2
Trump can add it to his Pretty Passel of Purloined Prizes.
The bigger it gets, the more obvious his utter moral failure as a human being
In a few days year one will be down and we'll have three more years of this absolutely loathsome embarrassment to live through. Please don't let me die with Trump still President. He's set an example for all the narcissistic psychopaths out there. How are we going to get back to higher ground? Ahh, well, it's late. I'll stop here.
No. of Recommendations: 6
I seem to recall a Super Bowl ring being up for auction/sale (Ebay??) a few years ago. Once the owner owns it, they can do whatever they want with it. But no one will recognize any claims that a buyer or other recipient after the fact actually earned it. Same with the Medal.
OK maybe so. But I have a friend who was Miss Georgia a few years ago, and she gave me her crown and sash, so now I am Miss Georgia. It’s not the talent or the looks, it’s not the decision of the judges that matters, it’s possession of the award.
I’m opening a supermarket next week in Athens, followed by a talk to the Daughters of the Revolution in Atlanta on Thursday.
No. of Recommendations: 3
