Here's What's Inside Trump-Branded Swag Bag, In Focus After Machado Visit

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on January 15. Machado, a critic of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, won the award in 2025 for her campaign to advance democracy in her country.

She left the medal at the White House in the hope that the gesture would secure something more consequential, which is US backing as she positions herself for a role in Venezuela's post-Maduro future, reported CNN. A White House official told Reuters that Trump intends to keep the medal. If the move was intended to prompt a clearer endorsement from the president, it appears to have fallen short, at least for now.

Machado was later photographed leaving the White House carrying a Trump-branded swag bag, with questions still lingering over her political prospects.

Inside The Trump-Branded Swag Bag

As per reports, it is not known what Machado received in the MAGA cap-red gift bag that featured the president's signature in gold print. But during Donald Trump's second-term inauguration as US president in January 2025, VIP guests were given curated goodie bags, according to Page Six.

These swag bags, distributed to personal guests of Trump and his family, reportedly included a medal featuring Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a large red leather journal embossed in gold with a sketch of the US Capitol, a red leather coin bearing the Capitol building and a glittering White House Christmas ornament. VIPs also received a commemorative glass bottle of Diet Coke, labelled, “The Inauguration of the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, January 20, 2025.”

Is The Trump-Branded Swag Bag Reserved For Select Guests?

From what appears in various reports, Trump-branded swag bags are limited to specific invited guests and VIPs. Even during Trump's 2017 inauguration, such White House-approved bags were distributed to select attendees. US Weekly reported that the white-and-navy canvas totes featured the official inauguration emblem reading “Presidential Inauguration Donald Trump – Mike Pence” and were designed with double shoulder straps and a zip closure.

The bags included assorted memorabilia, such as a red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap embroidered with Trump's signature, a White House keychain, a mock $100 bill bearing Trump's image, an “I Was There” pin and a smaller gold inauguration pin.

Trump Keeps The Medal, But Nobel Honour Remains With Machado

The White House, on January 15, 2026, released a photograph showing Trump and Machado, with the US president holding the large, gold-coloured frame displaying the medal. The accompanying caption read, “To President Donald J. Trump, in gratitude for your extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength,” describing the gesture as a “personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people.”

While Machado handed over the gold medal that accompanies the prize, the Nobel honour itself remains hers. The Oslo-based Nobel Peace Centre later clarified that Nobel medals cannot be shared or transferred. “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the committee said in a post on X.

Machado's attempt to influence Trump came after he dismissed the idea of backing her as Venezuela's leader following the removal of Nicolas Maduro, according to Reuters. Trump openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize before Machado was honoured with it.