Senators accuse Trump of receiving lavish diamond ring tied to tariff exemption
Senators Warren and Blumenthal claim a diamond-encrusted gold ring given to Trump by the Antwerp World Diamond Center may constitute an improper gift linked to a recent tariff exemption for European diamonds.
At an America 250 event in Brussels, the Antwerp World Diamond Center handed a custom-made 18-karat gold ring—adorned with 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds, six rubies and the presidential seal—to U.S. Ambassador Bill White for President Donald Trump. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal sent a strongly worded letter to Trump, AWDC founder Isidore Mörsel and jeweler David Gotlib, alleging the gift resembles a “cartoonish bribe” after the administration exempted European natural diamonds from a new Section 301 tariff regime.
The senators highlighted the timing, noting the exemption restored zero-percent duties for the Belgian diamond sector. They cited the president’s history of accepting lavish gifts and warned that the ring could trigger federal criminal scrutiny. The letter requests a detailed response by Aug. 24, and the White House and AWDC have been contacted for comment.
Why it matters
It raises questions about possible influence-peddling in U.S. trade policy.
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