Donald Trump's former National Security Advisor, John Bolton, has disclosed he was perpetually concerned that the ex-president might have removed Theodore Roosevelt's Nobel Peace Prize medallion from the White House.
An Obsession with the Prize
The revelation came during a CNN interview on Monday 12 January 2026, where Bolton discussed Trump's well-documented fixation on securing the prestigious award for himself. Trump has repeatedly and publicly obsessed over his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, often making inflated claims about ending multiple global conflicts to bolster his case.
Bolton, who became a fierce critic after being fired by Trump in 2019, was responding to questions about the 2025 prize being awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Trump had recently suggested, when asked, that he might consider installing Machado as Venezuela's leader if she gave him her award during a planned meeting.
'It's Always All About Trump'
"Look, it's always all about Trump," Bolton told host Erin Burnett. "He cares less about Venezuela than he does the prize." Burnett reminded the audience that the honour is not transferable, but Bolton noted Machado could theoretically give Trump the physical medallion while retaining the prize itself.
This led Bolton to voice his longstanding apprehension. "Theodore Roosevelt's Nobel medallion hangs on the wall of the Roosevelt Room in the White House. I've always worried Trump would grab that if he can't get another one," he confessed, adding flippantly that a replacement could probably be found elsewhere.
Historical Context and Legal Woes
Theodore Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his role in mediating an end to the Russo-Japanese War via the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth. His medal has been a historic fixture in the executive mansion.
Bolton's comments arrive as he himself faces significant legal challenges, including 18 separate charges of mishandling classified information in a case pursued by the Trump-era Department of Justice. The interview underscores the deepening rift between the former president and his one-time advisor, highlighting a bizarre potential chapter in Trump's quest for Nobel recognition.
