First lady Jill Biden was gifted a $20,000 diamond from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023, according to an annual accounting published by the U.S. Department of State on Thursday.
Why It Matters
It is not unusual for political figures, especially presidents and their families, to be given gifts, however, it’s a sensitive issue. Accepting gifts can be criticized as quid-pro-quo if the recipient does something to benefit the giver because of the gift they received.
Federal law requires White House officials to declare gifts they receive from foreign leaders and counterparts that are valued over $480. The more expensive gifts given to executive branch officials are often transferred to the National Archives or put on official displays.
What To Know
The 7.5-carat diamond gifted to Jill Biden from Modi was easily the most expensive gift given to any member of the first family in 2023.
She was also given a $14,063 brooch from Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., as well as chairs, a bracelet, a brooch and a photograph album valued at $4,510 from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Egypt’s first lady, Entissar Amer.
The State Department said that the $20,000 diamond was retained for official use in the White House East Wing and the other gifts received by President Joe Biden and his wife were sent to the National Archives.
The Associated Press reached out to Jill Biden’s office for comment about the diamond’s use but did not immediately hear back.
What Was Joe Biden Gifted?
President Biden’s gifts included a commemorative photo album and a traditional Jarikki set worth $7,100 from the recently impeached South Korean President Suk Yeol Yoon and a statue of Mongolian warriors valued at $3,495 from Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene.
He also received a $3,300 silver bowl from the sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiaha, a $3,160 sterling silver tray from Israeli President Isaac Herzog and a $2,400 collage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
What Gifts Has Donald Trump Received?
President-elect Donald Trump also received gifts from foreign leaders during his first term, getting tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts in 2019.
Trump’s 2019 gifts included an $8,500 Ottoman Empire rifle from then-Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, a $7,200 Bronze sculpture of an Arabian horse from Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and a $6,300 gold, onyx, emerald and diamond statue of an Arabian oryx from Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
What People Are Saying
Kirstin Holm, a registrar of the Presidential Materials division at the National Archives, told The Washington Post in 2018: “There are often gifts that are interesting.”
“Sometimes it’s not quite clear what the message was with the gifts given. But we treat everything as an artifact,” Holm added.
What Happens Next
Trump will take office in 18 days. Like in his first term and with presidents before him, he and his family will almost certainly receive gifts from foreign leaders, which will be documented if they exceed the $480 threshold.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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