A portrait, a sword: Undeclared gifts during Trump’s presidency

Where did the golf clubs that Japan gave Donald Trump go? A giant portrait of the US president from El Salvador? A parliamentary hearing on Friday revealed that the billionaire had not declared some of the many gifts he received.

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The investigation, led by Democrats in the House of Representatives, probes hundreds of items given to the Trump family between 2016 and 2021, totaling more than $250,000.

The report mentions a dagger and swords valued at $24,000 donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, among others that were not properly declared.

He also refers to White House emails related to a larger-than-life portrait of Donald Trump that was donated by El Salvador and lost to authorities.

Documents obtained by elected officials leading the investigation suggest the painting may have been moved to the billionaire’s lavish Florida home.

The administration responsible for these gifts also failed to get its hands on the golden golf clubs that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presented to the president shortly after his election to “foster a special relationship.”

Jamie Raskin, head of the parliamentary inquiry, said it was “determined to find the missing gifts (…) and establish whether they could have been used to influence the president’s foreign policy”.

He warns that not declaring these items is against the law.

The long list also includes Ivanka Trump’s portrait printed on the mother of pearl given to the president’s daughter by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2017.

Her husband, Jared Kushner, is the creator of Donald Trump’s Middle East strategy.

Donald Trump’s entourage did not respond to AFP’s requests.