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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Jonathan Yerushalmy

A bicycle, pencil sharpener, 300lb of raw meat: US presidential gifts and the rules governing them

Donald Trump George W Bush United States White House Dick Cheney Ehud Olmert Qatar
George W Bush rides a bicycle he received as a gift from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Reports the US president will accept a plane from Qatar have reignited ethical concerns.
George W Bush rides a bicycle he received as a gift from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Reports the US president will accept a plane from Qatar have reignited ethical concerns. Photograph: Avi Ohayon/AP

Reports that Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family have set off a storm of criticism, as ethics experts say such a gift would violate rules within the constitution that seek to guard against bribery and corruption.

There is a long history of US presidents accepting gifts from foreign powers. The very desk from which Trump has signed a record number of executive order was given to the US by Queen Victoria in 1880. The “Resolute Desk” was given to President Rutherford B Hayes and is made from the oak timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute.

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