Who gave Donald Trump a gun? From Queen Elizabeth to Benjamin Netanhayu, extravagant gifts from world leaders to the former US president

Aug 10 , 2021

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth greets former US president Donald Trump in June 2019, but what gifts did she and other heads of state give him that year? Photo: Reuters

Pre-pandemic when public figures travelled more, the most expensive gift Trump received was an Ottoman Empire rifle from Bulgaria’s PM valued at US$8,500

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi both gave him portraits, with Morrison’s including Trump’s wife Melania

Travel might be a rare thing for us all these days, but up until 2020 heads of state would rack up the air miles criss-crossing the globe to visit each other’s countries. Of course, former president of the US Donald Trump was one of them.

Each meeting requires gifts and, in the US, any official gifts valued at more than US$365 must be transferred to the national archives or else bought by the recipient should they wish to keep them. It seems that Trump didn’t hang onto any of his keepsakes (and we wonder how many of the gifts he gave were kept too) but here’s the best of what he received during 2019.

Self portraits

Former US President Donald Trump and former Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong pose at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019. Photo: Getty Images

It’s no secret that Trump takes his image seriously, and his gifts from foreign leaders reflect that. Former Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong gave him a painting of himself on glass in April 2019, valued at US$5,250.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi shakes hands with former US President Donald Trump at the start of a bilateral meeting in New York, in September 2018. Photo: AFP

During a trip to the White House in April 2019, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi gave Trump a large double frame carved from black stone with an image of him in precious metal on one side and the coat of arms of Egypt on the reverse. The item was valued at US$4,450.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also once gave Trump a framed photo of himself, this time together with Melania, valued at US$470.

Firearms

Former US President Donald Trump and former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov talk to members of the media in the Oval Office at the White House in November 2019. Photo: Getty Images