Two Senators Ask Whether a 321-Diamond Ring Given to Trump Was a 'Cartoonish Bribe' for a Tariff Exemption

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal wrote on Aug. 10 to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and the jeweler who made an 18-karat gold ring presented for Trump at a June 28 Brussels event, asking whether it was tied to tariff relief. They said the timing raises questions about "foreign corporate interests potentially buying special favors" with "what appears to be a cartoonish bribe." European natural diamonds were later exempted from Section 301 forced-labor tariffs.

The question is where lobbying ends and inducement begins, and whether the emoluments clause reaches a gift from a body tied to a foreign government.

Both the trade group and the White House deny a link, the latter saying the exemption reflects commitments in the 2025 EU trade agreement. No investigation has been announced.