Calls For Bribery Probe Into Lavish Gifts Given To Trump [View all]
Source: Newsweek
Published Nov 28, 2025 at 08:21 AM EST
Two Swiss lawmakers have asked prosecutors to investigate whether generous gifts given to President Donald Trump by Swiss business leaders violated anti‑bribery laws. The gifts, including a gold bar and a Rolex table clock, were handed over during a White House meeting that came about a week before the Trump administration cut tariffs on Swiss goods.
Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing, and a source close to the Swiss delegation that visited the Oval Office told Newsweek that the gifts were given to the presidential library, which is permitted under U.S. ethics rules. Newsweek contacted the White House and the companies of the Swiss executives who took part in the meeting via email on Friday. Representatives for Rolex and Partners Group declined to comment.
Why It Matters
The controversy highlights the ethical gray area surrounding lavish gifts and high-level lobbying. Trump, known for his love of gold and extravagant items, has this term received gifts ranging from a gold-and-glass disc from Apple to a $400 million 747 jet gifted to his presidential library by the government of Qatar.
While Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing, the timing of the Swiss gifts, just days before the U.S. reduced tariffs on Swiss goods, has raised ethical and legal questions around expensive gifts to public officials.
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/calls-for-bribery-probe-into-lavish-gifts-given-to-trump-11124763