US President Donald Trump has repeatedly declined to endorse María Corina Machado for Venezuela’s presidency, stating publicly after the January 2026 capture of Nicolás Maduro that she lacks sufficient domestic support or respect to lead. The administration has instead prioritized engagement with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, crediting her with steps to reopen the oil sector to US investment. Machado’s meetings with Trump, including her presentation of a Nobel medal, produced no shift in position. Officials have rejected her return requests and described her as a distraction, while talks on future elections proceed without her involvement. These patterns of preference for the interim government and explicit doubts about Machado’s viability sustain the trader consensus reflected in current pricing.