Jimmy Kimmel has compared Donald Trump taking the Nobel Peace Prize medal from its rightful winner to a baby being given a pacifier. The late-night host's opening monologue on Thursday was filled with barbed jokes about Trump accepting the accolade from Venezuelan opposition leader María Machado, the 2025 laureate.
Machado handed over the medal to Trump after weeks of praising his interventions in her country. Kimmel quipped: “Rarely does a president yank a Nobel prize off of someone’s neck. He’s back in the Oval Office sucking on it like a pacifier.” Machado was awarded the prize for leading resistance against former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, whom the US military abducted in early 2026.
Kimmel also noted that Machado left without an endorsement from Trump, but did receive a gift bag. “She was seen leaving the White House with a gift bag. ‘Thanks for the Nobel Prize. Here’s a Make America Great Again mug. We appreciate you stopping by,’” Kimmel joked.
The comedian went on to offer Trump some of his own trophies in exchange for pulling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents out of Minneapolis, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on 7 January. The killing has sparked protests and calls for ICE withdrawal.
Kimmel concluded by warning that Trump’s alleged “master plan” involves deploying ICE to cities, accusing protesters of insurrection, invoking the Insurrection Act, and cancelling midterm elections. “Step four, you invoke the Insurrection Act, you call out the military, you cancel the elections, and you take charge for good,” he said.
