‘Cartoonish Bribe’: Did a Jeweled Ring Buy Belgium a Trump Tariff Exemption?

Putting a ring on it is a surefire sign of commitment — or at least a sign that someone’s looking for it.

In late June, Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) President Isidore Mörsel presented the American Ambassador to Belgium, Bill White, a massive diamond and jewel encrusted ring — crafted by luxury jewelry designer David Gotlib — intended as a gift to president Donald Trump . The 18-karat gold paperweight of a ring features the presidential seal rendered in emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. A sparkling “250” sits at the top — a reference to this year’s celebrations of the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A diamond “T” superimposed on an American flag decorates one side of the band, while jeweled Superman shields with a “45” and “47” (references to Trump’s presidential terms) decorate two of the corners. The total gem count clocked in at 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds, and six rubies, and is conservatively valued at between $25,000 and $35,000.

It was, to many observers, a self-serving gesture. The Belgian diamond trade has been heavily impacted by Trump’s erratic tariff regime, and a nice little carveout would do wonders for one of the flagship industries of the European nation.

On July 24, they got it, when European diamonds were quietly granted an exemption from the latest wave of Trump tariffs. Not so quietly, though, that Senate democrats didn’t notice. Now, they’re asking questions. Amid the scrutiny, the AWDC is denying any connection between the gift and the tariff rollback, claiming in a statement to Reuters this week that “the discussion about ‌U.S. import tariffs was entirely separate from (the gifted ring).”

The timeline , however, looks suspicious to lawmakers. “Time and time again, Donald Trump has doled out apparent special favors to corporations who try to woo him with flattery, shiny gifts — or both,” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tells Rolling Stone of the new push from Democrats to dig up more information about the ring and AWDC’s dealings with the Trump administration. “This looks like cartoonish corruption — and I’ll keep pushing to hold Trump and these massive corporations accountable.” Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century

Last year, amid his initial tariff frenzy, Trump placed a 20 percent import tariff on products coming into the U.S. from Europe — including luxury products and jewelry. Last September, the European diamond trade was granted an exemption from the tariffs. Things seemed fine, until the Supreme Court struck down the president’s tariff regime in February, prompting him to re-implement a 10 percent universal import tariff in retaliation, catching the European diamond sector off guard.

On June 28, AWDC presented the gift to Ambassador White.