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Foreign leaders, celebrities, and everyday Americans have used gifts to the U.S. president to build relationships, show respect, and sometimes make unforgettable impressions on the world’s most powerful office, whether it’s a “flying palace” Boeing 747, presidential portraits painted on individual grains of rice, or a crocodile insurance policy.
While federal law requires presidents to report gifts from foreign governments worth more than $480, all such presents belong to the American people—that hasn’t stopped gift-givers from getting creative. Below, we review some of the most memorable ones.
Key Takeaways
- Presidents receive gifts as a show of respect, alliances, to build relationships, and, in some cases, to get favors.
- U.S. presidents aren’t allowed to keep the gifts for themselves: they become the property of the U.S.
Trump: Luxury Jet, Swords, Daggers, Clothes, and Sandals.
In May 2025, President Donald Trump accepted a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family worth an estimated $400 million. The plan is for the Boeing 747-8, which Qatar, the New York Times reports, had a hard time selling and which the president initially requested, would serve as Air Force One until shortly before Trump leaves office, when ownership would transfer to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation.
Trump, who in 2017 received 83 gifts from Saudi Arabia, including swords, daggers, fur robes, scarves, shirts, a hoodie, a turquoise dress, and numerous pairs of sandals, said he would be “stupid” not to accept this “great gesture.”
Tip
The ban on accepting gifts or “emoluments” from foreign states is in the original U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8): “No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Obama: Horse Sculpture, Underwear, and Crocodile Insurance
Former President Barack Obama received some very odd gifts during his time in office:
- A surfboard
- Crocodile insurance from Australia
- 50 pairs of H&M boxer-briefs from David Beckham,
- A gem-encrusted horse sculpture from Saudi Arabia worth almost half a million dollars
- A ping pong table from then-U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron.
George W. Bush: Skates and a Lion
George W. Bush received a set of skates, together with wrist, knee, and elbow pads, from the then-Dutch prime minister. In 2008, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete gave Bush a stuffed lion and leopard.
Nixon: Pandas and Two Grains of Rice
Inadvertently expressing fondness for something could lead to a gift. Just ask Richard Nixon’s wife, Patricia. While in China, she mentioned giant pandas and ended up getting sent two of them.
During his tenure, Nixon also received two grains of rice and a magnifying glass from Pakistan. Each grain, believe it or not, contained a portrait of him.
Roosevelt: Churchill Painting
Winston Churchill is mainly known for governing Britain during World War II. However, he was also a painter who gifted one of his creations to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The oil-on-canvas painting was later acquired by Angelina Jolie and sold at auction in 2021 for £8.2 million ($11 million).
Jackson: Lots of Cheese
In 1835, a dairy farmer gave President Andrew Jackson a 1,400-pound wheel of cheese. The cheese was left in the White House foyer for two years, then the president invited the public to eat it. According to reports, the cheese was gobbled up in two hours, but the smell remained long after.
The Bottom Line
Exchanging gifts is an ancient custom designed primarily to strengthen social bonds and express appreciation. Normally, the goal is to give something that will be appreciated. However, in the case of the U.S. President, it’s often about grabbing attention. That could mean sending something super rare or expensive, whether a private jet or insurance against a giant panda.
