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.
Subscribe to 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.
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling