3 portraits of Trump, and 5 other wild things foreign leaders gave the president


President Trump might just be America's next great muse.
On Wednesday, the State Department released a list of hundreds of gifts Trump officials received from foreign governments in 2017, ranging from Trump-inspired art to downright extravagant decorations. Here are the 8 most outlandish things that went to Trump and his family.
1-3. Portraits of himself. The presidents of Poland, Palestine, and Vietnam all got Trump this repeat gift, though none of the portraits were valued anywhere close to the $20,000 one Trump bought with his charity's money. Trump is behind schedule if he's hoping to beat former President Barack Obama, who got eight portraits of himself from 2009-2012, The Washington Post notes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
4-5. A $16,250 dinnerware set. The most expensive gift on the list, an 85-piece porcelain dining set, came from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi also got Trump the second most expensive gift, a $14,400 "paper panel" featuring calligraphy inside a very fancy box.
6. A cigar box ... for the first family's grandchildren. For some reason, the king of Jordan got a $540 humidor for Trump's 9 grandchildren, the oldest of whom is 11.
7. A statue of a manatee. The crown prince of Abu Dhabi got Trump a "bronze sculpture of a manatee rising headfirst." It's one of a 200-run limited series.
8. A photo of the King of Saudi Arabia. You can probably guess who this is from.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Presidents are technically not supposed to take gifts from foreign governments, but they typically transfer the gifts to the National Archives. That's because, as the Wednesday list notes next to every ridiculous present, "non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. government." Read the whole list here.
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
‘The Taliban delivers yet another brutal blow’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Renewables top coal as Trump seeks reversal
Speed Read For the first time, renewable energy sources generated more power than coal, said a new report
-
Prime minister shocks France with resignation
Speed Read French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu submitted his government’s resignation after less than a month in office
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies