US senators are probing the whereabouts of an 18-karat ring gifted by a Belgian diamond dealer to Donald Trump in what was described as a “cartoonish bribery attempt”.
Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal wrote to the White House demanding to know where the ring, valued at $43,000, is now.
The ring is encrusted in hundreds of diamonds. Antwerp World Diamond Centre
The ring was gifted to the president by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).
Weeks later the Trump administration announced that European diamonds would be exempt from its tariffs.
“We don’t know where the ring is today,” Warren said.
Under US law, gifts made to the president worth more than $750 are considered to be the property of the United States and cannot be accepted by the president himself.
“Last month, we wrote to AWDC and David Gotlib Luxury Cufflinks raising questions about what appeared to be a cartoonish bribery attempt, in line with the president’s record of doling out special treatments to corporate interests that are willing to woo him with flattery, payoffs, or both,” the letter from Warren and Blumenthal read.
The letter said that AWDC claimed the ring was not a gift to Trump but instead to the United States.
But the senators noted the ring had two “T” emblems made from diamonds, “45” and “47” logos in a Superman-style and the presidential seal.
Trump typically does not wear rings. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Trump is the 45th and 47th president, and frequently uses the numbers in his iconography.
On the interior of the ring is an engraving reading: “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump.”
The ring was presented to US Ambassador to Belgium Bill White in June 2026 “for presentation to Donald Trump”.
Trump thanked the AWDC for the ring with a pre-recorded video message.
Trump typically does not wear jewellery, including a wedding ring.
In a press release announcing the gift, the AWDC said the ring was inspired by Super Bowl rings and referenced the 250th anniversary of American independence.
“The United States has been our most important trading partner for generations,” the AWDC’s Isidore Mörsel said.
“A large share of the natural diamonds traded in Antwerp ultimately find their way to American jewellers and consumers.
“With this ring, we wanted to celebrate that enduring economic relationship while also showcasing what Antwerp stands for on the world stage: trust, craftsmanship and natural diamond.”
Elizabeth Warren has been focusing on allegations of corruption in the Trump administration. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Warren and Blumenthal have also noted other gifts made to Trump that came before he announced exemptions for certain tariffs.
The Trump administration more than halved tariffs on Swiss imports after the CEO of watchmaker Rolex gifted him with a personalised gold bar worth $186,000 as well as a desk clock.
Apple won exemptions from tariffs from Chinese imports after its chief executive Tim Cook donated $1.4 million to the president’s inauguration committee.
“At best, your decision to present a 321-diamond, 18-karat gold ring to President Trump amidst high-stakes tariff decisions creates the glaring appearance of impropriety,” Warren and Blumenthal wrote to the AWDC.
“At worst, it reinforces that foreign corporate special interests can bypass standard trade policy and buy lucrative tariff exemptions simply by showering President Trump with shiny gifts.”
The White House is yet to comment on the inquiry.