Donald Trump has recently spoken about Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado in both positive and dismissive terms, but his latest public line is that she “doesn’t have the support or the respect” to lead Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro.

What Trump said about María Corina Machado

  • In a press conference after announcing Maduro’s capture and a U.S.-led transitional plan for Venezuela, Trump said it would be “very tough” for Machado to be the country’s leader.
  • He called her a “very nice woman,” but insisted she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country” to govern Venezuela.
  • Trump also signaled that the U.S. would effectively “be running” Venezuela temporarily “until it can be put back on track,” sidelining the idea that Machado might immediately assume leadership despite her opposition role and Nobel Peace Prize.

Earlier praise and Nobel Peace Prize context

  • Before these latest remarks, Trump had publicly highlighted that Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle for democracy in Venezuela, and he noted that she dedicated the award to him, saying she accepted it “in honor of you, because you really deserved it.”
  • Coverage of their interactions emphasized that Trump had long framed himself as a supporter of her fight against Maduro, and Machado herself said she “absolutely support[s] President Trump’s strategy” on Venezuela in a U.S. television interview.

How this is being discussed online

  • News outlets and social media posts are underscoring the contrast: a Nobel laureate opposition leader who supported Trump’s Venezuela policy now being publicly described by Trump as lacking “respect” and “support” to rule.
  • Commenters in forum-style discussions and Instagram threads are debating whether Trump’s stance is a pragmatic calculation about stability and contacts with figures inside the Maduro regime, or an unnecessary snub to a key opposition figure at a pivotal moment.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.