Sat. Nov 23rd, 2024

Vladimir Putin soccer ball gift to Donald Trump gets security check

By Naresh Kumar Jul 21, 2018 #Featured
U.S. President Donald Trump receives a football from Russian President Vladimir Putin as they hold a joint news conference after their meeting in Helsinki, Finland July 16, 2018. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor
415 Views

The red-and-white soccer ball tossed to President Donald Trump by Russia’s Vladimir Putin is undergoing a routine security screening.

The U.S. Secret Service says that’s standard for all gifts to the president.

During a joint news conference after their summit this week in Finland, Putin used soccer metaphors and was handed a soccer ball that he tossed to Trump.

Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup. Trump said he’d give the ball to his 12-year-old son Barron, a soccer fan.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Putin critic, tweeted after the exchange that he’d have the ball checked for listening devices and “never allow it in the White House.”

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a security conference he’s sure the ball “has been looked at very carefully.”

Related Post