"A wonderful gesture from Qatar. I am truly grateful. I would never turn down such a generous offer," Trump said when it became clear that the Arab state had donated a jet to the United States in May.
The plane, valued at $400 million, stands out as by far the most expensive gift of its kind to the United States. It immediately raised questions about ethics, security risks - and who the recipient really was.
From a king or prince?
Public officials in the United States are prohibited from accepting gifts from “kings, princes, or foreign powers” under the country’s constitution, unless Congress approves. Any gifts belong to the people under a later law, and usually end up in the National Archives or the respective presidential libraries, which serve as official federal archives for one administration when it passes to the next.
Smaller gifts may be kept and if they exceed a certain amount, they may be bought back at market price.
Donald Trump's penchant for gold is well-known. And as his administration has threatened large parts of the world with tariff wars, many leaders have sought to appease him with gifts. This year's crop of gifts includes a one-kilo gold bar and a Rolex table clock from a Swiss delegation. And the president of South Korea gave Trump a replica of a gold crown that the East Asian country's kings used to wear, writes Axios.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, donated a gold-plated pager. It was the same model as the ones that Israel equipped with explosives and placed among Hezbollah members, killing more than a dozen and injuring thousands in a high-profile operation last September.
Other leaders have invested in golf equipment for Trump, including Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyj, Finland's Alexander Stubb and Canada's Mark Carney.
Daggers and documents
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled across the Atlantic with Trump's German-born grandfather's birth certificate in an attempt to forge personal ties between the countries.
Saudi Arabia has given Trump a jambiya - a traditional dagger, sword, as well as winter clothes and sandals.
Russia's Vladimir Putin gifted a painting of Trump, victorious and with a bloodied face, raising a clenched hand in the air after the assassination attempt on him during the election campaign. The gesture from Putin is said to have made a deep impression on Trump.
So what's really going on with the plane from Qatar? The US Air Force is working to modify it so it can be used as Air Force One - the president's official plane. Extensive work must be done before it can pass the rigorous safety tests required.
And when Trump's term ends, it is intended to be managed by his presidential library.
