The Mongolian government is currently holding a lot of the U.S. government's horses.
When Mongolia's president Khaltmaa Battulga arrived at the White House late last month, he told President Trump's 13-year-old son Barron Trump he would be receiving every child's dream: a horse. And just a few weeks later, the Trump administration has been saddled with another horse, this time for newly confirmed Defense Secretary Mark Esper, The New York Times reports.
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.
To be clear, this very normal practice in Mongolian diplomacy. Former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel got a Mongolian horse on a 2014 visit, which he named "Shamrock" after his high school mascot. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was also gifted one in 2005, but amid some bureaucratic issues, couldn't take Montana back home. He and Montana were thankfully reunited once again a few years later.
Former Vice President Joe Biden also got a horse in 2011 and gave it his Secret Service code name of "Celtic," but it apparently promptly "reared up" because it probably didn't like "the Irish epitaph," Biden said at the time.
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billionsSpeed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to USSpeed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
6 products and apps to help fight jet lagThe Week Recommends Don't let travel fatigue drag you down
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billions
Speed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revoltSpeed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich throwerSpeed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodusSpeed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official saysSpeed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judgesSpeed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policingSpeed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa CookSpeed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
