Throughout more than 200 years of history, United States presidents have received the most extravagant and unusual gifts from international leaders.
One of the most famous ended up being incorporated into the daily life of the head of state of the most powerful nation in the world. It’s the Resolute table, a piece of furniture that ended up becoming one of the many symbols of American power. It was a gift given by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. Generations of presidents have used the desk, made from wood taken from a British ship called the Resolute.
Not only objects were presented to the presidents of the United States. Animals also appear on the list.
In 1904, Theodore Roosevelt received an ostrich and a zebra from the emperor of Abyssinia, modern-day Ethiopia. In the 1970s, Pat Nixon, Richard Nixon’s wife, received two pandas from China. It was a well-known diplomatic maneuver to bring the two countries closer together, something that is still used today.
Meetings with international leaders are part of an American president’s weekly agenda. In them, gift exchanges are important moments for building diplomacy. One of those responsible for supervising meetings between the American government and foreign delegations is the White House chief of protocol. Capricia Marshall held this position during the Obama administration and participated in historic moments.
In an interview with CNN she recalled the exchange of gifts between Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, in London, during a state visit to the United Kingdom.
She said that she spoke with the then president about what gift would be given to the monarch. After much research, Capricia found original menus and invitations from the last visit of Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, to the United States.
When she saw the gift, I think I saw a tear in her eye. This is the most awaited moment. This is when the gift is impactful, it shows that there was a lot of attention. An emotional connection is created between the two leaders. It’s part of diplomacy. It’s called ‘soft power’. This is when you try to consolidate a relationship. So we use gifts as part of our diplomatic tools
Capricia Marshall
Protocols
Until 1928, whether animals or objects, gifts given by foreign governments had to be approved by Congress and only then could they become the property of the president. But to increase transparency, avoid corruption and conflicts of interest, rules for accountability were created.
Currently, there is a strict protocol for managing gifts given by international leaders. The president can only keep an item if it is below a set value. Every three years, this amount is reviewed, according to the situation of the economy.
In March of this year, it was 480 dollars. Any gift above this cannot be for the personal use of the president, first lady, vice president or any federal public servant. In the case of the head of state, the White House can decide whether the item received will be on display at the government headquarters or whether it will be kept in the National Archives. There is another option: if the president really likes the gifted object, he can buy it back from the government, but never sell it.
The rules do not establish that there is an exception for a “very personal” gift, as in the case of Brazil. According to former head of the National Archives, Dr. Trudy Peterson, there is no such exception. “The prohibition on keeping international gifts dates back 250 years. The statute is very clear”, according to her.
Under President Joe Biden, the newest records on gifts received by the Democrat are from 2021, his first year in office. The information is published in a type of Official Gazette of the United States. The document shows, for example, that Biden received a pair of leather boots from then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisson. The shoes were valued at US$500, that is, above the established value. The White House decided to send it for storage at the National Archives.
Gift from Putin
Another gift draws attention: a mini desk and a pen valued at US$12,000. The gift-giver was Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. The item was also transferred to the National Archives. According to the document, the gifts were accepted because refusing them would create embarrassment between the American government and the foreign delegation.
The list is 19 pages long and includes gifts received by other people, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The objective is to ensure transparency so that nothing goes unnoticed.
The lack of accountability is precisely one of the Democrats’ complaints against former President Donald Trump. According to lawmakers from Joe Biden’s party, Trump and his family did not declare receipt of almost US$300,000 in official gifts from foreign governments. The items, including a painting, a dagger and a rug, were never found. Trump denies any wrongdoing.
According to Trudy Peterson, former head of the National Archives, the United States does not have a recent history of problems of this type and, therefore, there is not much knowledge about what to do to ensure the law is complied with. “Congress investigated, but what do you do? You tell a former president, “Look, I think you stole a $5,000 watch. This is corruption.”
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
