this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2025
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politics

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[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 29 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I know that the people in power don't care, but this is literally directly constitutionally illegal.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Not only is the gift illegal, Trump can't even use it because of security issues.

It's just rediculous all around.

[–] nullPointer@programming.dev 10 points 2 weeks ago

probably more of a memento of "look what we did with pagers/radios"

[–] tehWrapper@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

You really think he is not using his personal phone to post on truth social?

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

It’s literally not constitutionally illegal.

The Constitution (Article I, Section 9) prohibits anyone in the US Government from receiving a personal gift from a foreign head of state without the consent of Congress.

The handling of gifts from a foreign official to any Federal Government employee, including the President, is largely governed by the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966 and further legislation passed in 1977. Congress has allowed Federal employees to retain any gift from a foreign government, as long as the total US retail value of the gifts presented at one occasion does not exceed an amount established by the General Services Administration (GSA). Foreign official gifts over this “minimal value” are considered gifts to the people of the United States, which the recipient must purchase from GSA, at fair market value, in order to retain.

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The Constitution (Article I, Section 9) prohibits anyone in the US Government from receiving a personal gift from a foreign head of state

I've added some bold to a word that's relevant here.

It's actually commonplace for foreign leaders to give gifts to US Presidents. These gifts are not personal gifts and are actually owned by the US government. Some of these gifts wind up in a Presidential library.

They can't take this stuff home with them as that would be illegal. Of course Trump does take stuff home with him that belongs to the US government, but that's the illegal part, not the accepting of the gift.

Fun Fact: Justin Trudeau (really Canada's ministry of foreign affairs) gave Trump a nicely framed photo of a hotel Trump's grandfather owned in the Yukon. That hotel was actually a brothel. The Trump family... keeping it classy for generations.

[–] deranger@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

These gifts are personal gifts, and they can be taken home, if they’re below the GSA threshold. If they’re above that threshold, the president has to pay fair market value. If they don’t pay up, it goes to the library. That’s all in the text I pasted. “Personal” is not relevant; that word is not in article I section 9.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And 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.