The Insane Gifts Saudi Arabia Gave President Trump

[DonViejo]

The gifts range from the regal (“Artwork featuring picture of President Trump”) to the martial (multiple swords, daggers, leather ammo holders), to the baroque (cheetah fur robes).

KEN KLIPPENSTEIN
09.04.17 12:00 AM ET

During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump attacked Hillary Clinton for accepting money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, complaining during one of the debates, “These are people that kill women and treat women horribly and yet you take their money.”

That was, of course, before he made his first foreign visit as president to Saudi Arabia—and accepted dozens of gifts from the kingdom. In fact, during Trump’s visit, the White House accepted at least 83 separate gifts from Saudi Arabia, according to a document The Daily Beast has obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request to the State Department.

The gifts range from the regal (“Artwork featuring picture of President Trump”) to the martial (multiple swords, daggers, leather ammo holders and holsters), to the baroque (tiger and cheetah fur robes, and a dagger made of pure silver with a mother of pearl sheath). Now when the president is contemplating the state of Saudi women’s rights, he can do so before a “large canvas artwork depicting (a) Saudi woman.”

Amusing as the gifts may be, they are emblematic of a more serious issue: Trump’s embrace of the Saudi regime, a stark reversal from his campaign rhetoric. During the campaign, Trump accused the regime of everything from being responsible for 9/11 to failing to “reimburse us the way we should be reimbursed,” going so far as to threaten to stop buying their oil if they didn’t shape up.

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-insane-gifts-saudi-arabia-gave-president-trump

[patricia92243]

1. I can't imagine that he would really be interested in any of them except the picture

of himself.

[ATL Ebony]

4. and any gift made of gold

[no_hypocrisy]

2. It's ironic that SA gave Trump gifts such as weapons (swords, daggers).

According to a Trump biography (Never enough : Donald Trump and the pursuit of success / Michael D'Antonio), when he was 12-14, Trump used to sneak out of Queens to Manhattan via subway to go shopping on Times Square and purchased an impressive series of jack-knives. When Fred (his father) discovered the knives, that was the catalyst that sent Trump to NY Military Academy to straighten him out.

[Frustratedlady]

9. Thank you for posting that info.

I've always wondered why the parents sent him there, because it was usually that the kids was uncontrollable. I knew of one such kid of rich parents. After he went through a few years of military school, he was much worse and an embarrassment to his parents and friends. I've always thought it was because of that experience...same with Trump.

I'm not making excuses for Trump's incredible behavior, but that's a very dangerous age to pull that for punishment and tends to make quite an impression on the kid...and, not a good one. It used to be fashionable to use that punishment (and, to get the kid out of their hair so they could "do business" without dealing with kid stuff). I'm sure there is more to the story than knives, but he probably needed more contact with his parents, not less.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. My guess is that Fred saw "West Side Story", found the switchblades, and made predictions

about DT's future. And obviously this was beyond any influence he could have imposed on his son.

[brush]

11. His parents (KKKer Fred trump) had quite enough influence on trump don't you think?

And the young man trump came back and learned exactly how to exclude African-Americans from renting apartments at the side of his racist father.

[Frustratedlady]

12. I'm sure he did, once the kid was old enough to work with his dad and keep his mouth shut.

But I'm talking of that vulnerable age of 12-14 when you are suddenly abandoned by your parents to a strange, restrictive place with about the only plus being a uniform. I've seen it happen and it isn't pretty.

I've also wondered if Trump's disrespect for women was connected to his mother.

As I said, I'm not making excuses for Trump, just trying to understand how someone could be so hateful and carry resentment for so many years against so many people.

[Goonch]

3. Artwork

[John1956PA]

5. I detest Saudi Arabia's murder of women whose blood taint the riches of the kingdom. n/t

[Dustlawyer]

6. They know they bribes Trump with gifts and flattery.

It is equivalent to purchasing NY with beads, from the Indians.

[former9thward]

7. Gifts given to a president are not kept.

They become property of the National Archives if they are worth more than $375. The National Archives turns the gifts over to the Presidential Library when the president leaves office.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/02/the-unusual-gifts-given-to-presidents/462831/

[MFM008]

8. That's normal presidents

Have you forgotten who were talking about here?
He doesn't act like he cares what's legal or not.

[former9thward]

13. I have seen no evidence Trump keeps gifts.

If someone has it they should present it.

[MFM008]

14. I'm talking about

Everything.
Anyway how would we know what he keeps
And doesn't unless we have access to him.

[TheBlackAdder]

15. He can play dress up with James O'Keefe. Trump can call himself Pimp Daddy Trump!

[Paladin]

16. The Saudis, showing trump the true "Art Of The Deal."

They got a whole lot of value for those trinkets they showered Baby-Man with.