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.
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Codeword: August 2, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein