As President Donald Trump turns 80, a little-known US law is drawing attention. The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act treats high-value gifts to the president as gifts to the American government, not the individual. This means that if a gift exceeds the government's "minimal value" threshold of $480, it must be turned over to the government or purchased personally at fair market value.
Trump has received several notable gifts during his second term, including a gold-plated pager from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a World Boxing Championship belt from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. If any of these gifts exceed the legal value limit, Trump would need to reimburse the government for their assessed market price.
The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act was introduced to prevent foreign governments from improperly influencing American officials through expensive presents or favors. It applies to presidents, federal employees, diplomats, and military personnel, and items exceeding the allowed value threshold are typically transferred to official repositories unless purchased by the recipient.
