Netanyahu gifted Trump a golden pager during their meeting in Washington
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted US President Donald Trump a golden pager during their meeting in Washington on Tuesday, an Israeli political source told CNN.
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I know that the people in power don't care, but this is literally directly constitutionally illegal.
Not only is the gift illegal, Trump can't even use it because of security issues.
It's just rediculous all around.
probably more of a memento of "look what we did with pagers/radios"
You really think he is not using his personal phone to post on truth social?
Itās 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 totalĀ USĀ 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 āminimal valueā are considered gifts to the people of theĀ United States, which the recipient must purchase from GSA, at fair market value, in order to retain.
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.
These gifts are personal gifts, and they can be taken home, if theyāre below the GSA threshold. If theyāre above that threshold, the president has to pay fair market value. If they donāt pay up, it goes to the library. Thatās all in the text I pasted. āPersonalā 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.
The handling of gifts from a foreign official to any Federal Government employee, including the President
Point out whatever section of the Constitution makes this illegal. I assume youāre referring to the Emoluments clause which explicitly says itās illegal without congressional consent.
Congress has consented to the President receiving gifts with the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966.
