First Lady Jill Biden has been showered in gifts while her husband has been in office, receiving donated trifles worth tens of thousands of dollars in 2023 alone including a diamond worth $20,000 from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi’s generosity came during his first-ever state visit to the country where he was hosted by outgoing President Joe Biden and Mrs Biden. The prime minister gave a handcrafted sandalwood box to the president as the official gift.
"Who am I introducing next? Who's next?!" Biden shouted, followed by an awkward silence and a speaker announcement of India PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/7obi4MrxNE
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 23, 2024
The diamond was noted in an annual accounting published by the State Department on Thursday, AP reports. The outlet went on to list some of the benefits that were handed to the duo:
The 7.5-carat diamond from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was easily the most costly gift presented to any member of the first family in 2023, although she also received a brooch valued at $14,063 from the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States and a bracelet, brooch and photograph album worth $4,510 from the president and first lady of Egypt.
The U.S. president himself received a number of expensive presents, including a commemorative photo album valued at $7,100 from South Korea’s recently impeached President Suk Yeol Yoon, a $3,495 statue of Mongolian warriors from the Mongolian prime minister, a $3,300 silver bowl from the sultan of Brunei, a $3,160 sterling silver tray from the president of Israel, and a collage worth $2,400 from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Federal law requires executive branch officials to declare gifts they receive from foreign leaders and counterparts that have an estimated value of more than $480.
The $20,000 diamond was retained for official use in the White House East Wing, according to a State Department document, while the other gifts to the president and first lady were sent to the archives.
Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for Jill Biden, said the diamond will be turned over to the archives after they leave office. She did not say what it was being used for.
