President Donald Trump indicated Thursday that Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado is coming to the United States next week and that he plans to meet with the Nobel Peace Prize winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I understand she\u2019s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her,\u201d Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in a taped interview that aired Thursday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A representative for Machado did not immediately confirm the meeting Thursday night, and the White House did not immediately provide details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A meeting between Trump and Machado would come on the heels of the U.S. arrest and extraction of Venezuela’s deposed president, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. Delcy Rodr\u00edguez is now interim president. Several Republicans in Congress have pushed for Machado to lead the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump last week told reporters that it would \u201cbe very tough for [Machado] to be the leader, because she doesn\u2019t have the support within or the respect within the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Machado on Sunday as \u201cfantastic\u201d but said the speed of the situation required other leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnfortunately, the vast majority of the opposition is no longer present inside of Venezuela. We have short-term things that have to be addressed right away,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Machado, who won the Nobel prize last year, has said Trump \u201cdeserved it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked on Fox News whether he would accept Machado\u2019s Nobel prize if she gave it to him, Trump said: “I\u2019ve heard that she wants to do that. That\u2019d be a great honor.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has not been subtle in his Nobel Peace Prize ambitions and has campaigned for the award. In an interview with NBC News recently, he denied reporting from The Washington Post that said he did not appoint Machado to lead Venezuela after Maduro\u2019s capture because she won the Nobel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe should not have won it,\u201d Trump previously said. \u201cBut no, that has nothing to do with my decision.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n