Shocking scenes unfolded in Washington this Thursday as Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s fiery opposition leader, made headlines by attempting to hand over her Nobel Peace Prize to none other than Donald Trump during a hush-hush luncheon at the White House.

Machado, flush with excitement, declared, “Today is a turning point for Venezuelans everywhere!” after emerging from her first-ever face-to-face with the former President. While she trumpeted her dramatic gesture, she sidestepped reporters’ questions on whether Trump actually took her coveted medal—one he’s reportedly coveted for years.

This jaw-dropping encounter went down just days after U.S. special forces apprehended Venezuela’s ousted strongman, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, in a midnight raid back in Caracas. In the chaotic aftermath, Delcy Rodriguez has grabbed the reins as Venezuela’s acting president, while Trump publicly declared his negotiations were strictly with Rodriguez—leaving Machado on the political sidelines, at least for now.

Prior to the high-stakes meeting, Machado lavished public praise on Trump and made her mission crystal clear: she hoped offering up her Nobel would cement his favor and ignite U.S. support for Venezuela’s push toward democracy—a daring move, considering Nobel officials have repeatedly stated the honor is untouchable, unshareable, and nontransferable. ‘Once a Nobel winner, always a Nobel winner,’ they say, and there’s no passing the prize baton, no matter how historic the moment.

Machado’s Nobel triumph last October was said to have ruffled Trump’s feathers—after all, he’s made no secret of his own Nobel aspirations, linking prize glory to peace talks and even his diplomatic sleight of hand. She’s showered him with gratitude, dedicating her win to him, but the Nobel committee hasn’t budged.

Trump, for his part, chatted about the looming meeting with Fox’s Sean Hannity earlier in the month, saying being handed the prize would be ‘a great honor.’ He boasted of dialing down battles worldwide, quipping, ‘Eight wars, maybe more, I shut down—well, except for that flare-up in Southeast Asia.’

Still, despite all the pageantry, Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on Machado’s ability to galvanize Venezuelan voters should her name appear on a ballot. Will this grand Nobel gesture switch up the power dynamic? Stay tuned as the fallout unfolds.