Bulwark Takes: "Trump Wants to Take a Nobel Prize That Isn’t His"

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Date: January 11, 2026
Host: Ben Parker
Guest: Mona Charon
Main Theme:
This episode humorously critiques Donald Trump’s bizarre reaction to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Karina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize. The hosts dissect Trump’s apparent longing for the prize, the absurdity of the situation, and his persistent tendency to misunderstand symbolism, all while drawing parallels with his fixation on physical “stuff” and outdated political myths.

1. Setting the Scene: Trump, Machado, and the Nobel Prize

• [01:00] Ben Parker opens by noting that while Bulwark often delivers deep analysis, this episode is dedicated to "pointing and laughing" at a surreal news cycle moment involving Trump and the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Trump held a press conference after the raid in Caracas that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and brought him to the US on charges. When asked about Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Karina Machado, Trump responded dismissively:
  • "She's a very nice woman, but she doesn't have the respect." (Trump, quoted at [02:01])

2. Machado and the Nobel Prize: Trump’s Obsession

• Machado, unable to run for president, designated a stand-in who won two-thirds of the vote. She’s lauded as a national and international heroine.
• The panel reflects on the political back-and-forth:
  • Talk of Machado dedicating her Nobel Prize to Trump, which the group views as both "smart politics" and "disgusting" ([02:52]-[02:59]).
  • Surreal New York Times headline: “After Machado offers her Nobel, Trump says it would be an honor to accept it." ([03:04])
  • Trump declares openness to meeting Machado if she’ll "give him her Nobel Peace Prize":
    • “Well, I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her. ...That’d be a great honor.” (Trump, quoted at [03:22])
• The hosts lampoon Trump’s apparent belief that the Nobel Committee would somehow recognize him as the legitimate laureate if Machado simply hands over the award:
  • “Does he think the Nobel Committee in Norway is gonna be like, ‘Oh, dang, fooled us’?” (Ben Parker, [03:55])

3. Materialism, Symbolism, and Trump’s Simplicity

• The hosts explore Trump’s literalist, “widget-trader” view of the world:
  • He prizes material trophies and fails to grasp the abstract or symbolic value of honors like the Nobel ([06:33]-[06:58]).
    • “Is there a word for that? ...Materialism. Oh yeah, thank you.” (Ben Parker and Mona Charon, [06:48]-[06:58])
  • Trump’s thinking is illustrated as primitive, fixated on what can be touched or possessed ([06:48]-[08:15]).
• Example: Trump’s simplistic take on Venezuela’s oil reserves, not realizing it requires immense capital and technology to extract, unlike Saudi oil ([08:09]-[08:15]).
• Ben quips about Trump’s shallow understanding:
  • “The future of the global economy depends on a man who looked at a car and said...‘Everything’s computer.’” (Ben Parker, [08:30])
  • “Everything’s computer.” (Trump, imitated at [08:42])

4. Stuck in the Past: Trump’s Castro Myth and Refugee Narrative

• Analogy to Trump’s fixation on the Mariel Boatlift (1980):
  • Trump repeats claims that hostile regimes “empty their prisons” and send criminals to the US—an exaggeration rooted in Cold War myth ([09:15]-[10:20]).
  • Quote from Trump at a press conference (imitated):
    • "Regime emptied out their prisons, sent their worst and most violent monsters into the United States to steal American lives." (Imitation, [10:04])
• Mona clarifies the facts:
  • Actual data showed the majority of refugees were not criminals ([10:28]).
  • Contrary to anti-immigrant rhetoric, the Miami economy actually boomed thanks to the influx ([10:39]-[11:19]).

5. Obama’s Nobel and Trump’s Jealousy

• Ben and Mona argue Trump’s Nobel envy is rooted in Obama receiving the prize “for not being Bush,” which Trump views as unjust ([11:27]).
• Trump reasons, “If Obama can get a Nobel Peace Prize for nothing, so can I,” explaining his determination to claim one by any means ([11:27]).

6. Notable Quotes & Moments

• Mocking Trump’s confusion:
  • “She wants to put it on himself like he did with the FIFA thing.” (Ben Parker, [03:50])
• On the Nobel Committee:
  • “How do they show their faces in public in Norway?” (Mona Charon, [04:47])
• Lampooning misplaced priorities:
  • “We know what he wants. ...Even though by his standards at this point, it’s a paltry amount.” (Mona Charon, [05:11])
  • “Unbelievable.” (Mona Charon, [06:11])
• Characterizing Trump’s worldview:
  • “…He’s obsessed with physical stuff. …He doesn’t get that. He’s obsessed with physical stuff.” (Mona Charon, [06:59])
  • “He’s so trapped in the past…” (Mona Charon, [08:43])

7. Conclusion and Tone

• The episode closes with the hosts reflecting on the absurdity and potential consequences of Trump’s behavior—and a tongue-in-cheek promise that future Bulwark episodes might be “more informative,” though pointing and laughing is sometimes all that’s left.
  • "We're going to have more of these Bulwark Plus Takes. Maybe they'll be more informative than this. Maybe they'll be more pointing and laughing.” (Ben Parker, [end])

Overall Tone and Takeaway

The hosts maintain a mix of incredulous amusement and exasperation. Their tone is informal and sardonic, emphasizing the farcical nature of Trump’s fixation on acquiring symbolic trophies and his misunderstanding of complex international issues. The episode underscores a broader point: even the world’s most prestigious symbols are at risk of being reduced to props in a spectacle for those obsessed with material status.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking sharp and funny political analysis of today’s surreal news moments—particularly those involving Trump’s ego and, now, hypothetical Nobel ambitions.