Former US president Donald Trump and his family failed to disclose over 100 gifts worth over $250,000 received from foreign countries during his time in the White House, a report released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee states. The report added that of the total 117 gifts, 17 were sent from India which reportedly cost nearly $50,000.
The gifts include a Taj Mahal replica worth $4,600 gifted to Modi by former Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and a $1,920 worth cufflinks presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021. Reportedly, the most expensive gift from India was a Makrana marble vase costing $8,500 given by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in 2021.
From Saudi Arabia, the Trump family had received 16 gifts worth more than $45,000, including a dagger worth almost $24,000. Several unaccounted for items have been reported missing too.
Of these, a life-size painting of Trump commissioned by the president of El Salvador before the 2020 elections and golf clubs from the then prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe are missing. The golf clubs, which the report says included a putter worth $460 and a driver costing $3,040, were gifted by Abe in 2017 and 2018 during visits to the Trump International Golf Club and Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Gifts above several hundred dollars that foreign officials give to the president, vice president and their families are required under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act to be reported to the State Department. As per the report’s preliminary findings, the number of gifts reported by Trump and his family are lower than those disclosed by earlier presidents.
PM Modi had also given a black marble table with mother-of-pearl and stone inlay work worth $1,400 and a gold bracelet worth $2,450 to Trump and his daughter Ivanka in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
