Two Democratic senators are demanding answers from a pair of Belgian firms regarding an 18-carat gold ring set with 321 diamonds that was presented to President Donald Trump just weeks prior to the U.S. granting Europe’s diamond industry an exemption from newly imposed tariffs.
In an August 10 letter addressed to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and David Gotlib Luxury Cufflinks, Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut cautioned that the gift creates significant legal concerns under U.S. federal bribery statutes and could subject the businesses to potential criminal penalties.
“At best, your (gift to) … President Trump amidst high-stakes tariff decisions creates the glaring appearance of impropriety. At worst, it reinforces that foreign corporate special interests can … buy lucrative tariff exemptions simply by showering President Trump with shiny gifts,” they wrote in the letter.
According to the senators, the ring—handcrafted by David Gotlib—was presented to the U.S. ambassador in Belgium on June 28 by the president of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre as a gift for Trump to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S.
On July 24, the Trump administration officially exempted natural European diamonds from new Section 301 tariffs, reinstating the Belgian diamond industry’s prior zero-percent tariff access.
The senators directed the firms to answer a list of inquiries by August 24, including the precise financial value of the ring, the entity that paid for it, and any discussions about tariffs held with the Trump administration prior to the exemption announcement. News reports have placed the ring’s value at $25,000 to $35,000.
While Republicans currently maintain control over both houses of Congress, Democrats are developing a comprehensive investigative strategy targeting corporations and financial institutions surrounding Trump if they return to power following the congressional elections in November.
The White House denied granting any favors to special interest groups. A spokesman said the choice to exempt the diamond sector merely upheld the Trump administration’s prior agreement to extend preferential treatment for diamonds under the U.S.-European Union trade agreement concluded in Scotland last July.
An administration official noted that the diamond ring remains federal property, adding that if the president intends to retain it, he must pay the government the full market price for the item.