Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Machado Praises Trump, Calls for Election on 'Hannity'

In a Monday interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity (Right bias), Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado publicly lauded Trump and vowed to return to Venezuela, where she claimed she would handily win an election.

For Context: Shortly after President Nicolás Maduro's capture, Trump said Machado, who won a Nobel Prize in October, is a "very nice woman" but "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" required to lead it.

Hannity Interview: Machado told Hannity, "As soon as I learned that we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated to Trump because I knew at that point, he deserved it." She added that "the Venezuelan people… want to give it to him and share it with him." Of her political future, she said, "I'm planning to go back to Venezuela as soon as possible. We believe that this transition should move forward. In free and fair elections, we will win over 90% of the votes." Machado also claimed that in the 24 hours following Maduro's capture, 14 journalists who supported the US operation were detained.

Venezuela's Future: The Trump administration has instead moved forward working with Maduro's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as the country's interim leader. Rodriguez initially criticized Trump for the capture of Maduro, but after public threats from Trump, has vowed to work with the US. The New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported that Trump decided to not endorse Machado after US intelligence concluded her opposition would have trouble leading the government and her relationship with top Trump officials soured.

How The Media Covered It: Machado has been one of the most widely covered mainstream media topics in recent days. Several outlets from the right and center highlighted that she said she would give Trump her Nobel Prize. Some outlets from the left, like The Guardian (Left), The Independent (Lean Left), and Time Magazine (Lean Left), criticized Trump's decision to not back Machado. Al Jazeera (Lean Left) and Reuters (Center) highlighted in headlines that Machado told Hannity she had not spoken to Trump since October.

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