Soccer Ball Trump Got From Putin Reportedly Going Through Routine Security Screening
- 6 years ago
The soccer ball President Putin gave to President Trump is reportedly undergoing security screening.
During a press conference after the Helsinki Summit on July 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted President Trump a soccer ball.
In a Friday piece, the Associated Press reported the red-and-white ball is "undergoing a routine security screening."
The report added that according to the US Secret Service such a check is "standard for all gifts to the president."
However, considering the ball came from Putin, there's been quite a bit of speculation about it. "If it were me, I'd check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House," Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted.
The ball chatter extends beyond the security issue.
"According to analysts and lawmakers" who observed the press conference, the New York Times notes, "the ball was a metaphor for the gamesmanship that Mr. Putin's many critics say he is well-versed in — and for how he has scored points against an ill-prepared American leader in this high-stakes diplomatic exercise."
When Putin offered the gift, he commented, "Mr. President, I'll give this ball to you, and now the ball is in your court," an apparent reference to the U.S. involvement in hosting the 2026 World Cup. Upon receiving it, President Trump tossed the ball to Melania Trump and said, "that'll go to my son, Barron."
During a press conference after the Helsinki Summit on July 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted President Trump a soccer ball.
In a Friday piece, the Associated Press reported the red-and-white ball is "undergoing a routine security screening."
The report added that according to the US Secret Service such a check is "standard for all gifts to the president."
However, considering the ball came from Putin, there's been quite a bit of speculation about it. "If it were me, I'd check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House," Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted.
The ball chatter extends beyond the security issue.
"According to analysts and lawmakers" who observed the press conference, the New York Times notes, "the ball was a metaphor for the gamesmanship that Mr. Putin's many critics say he is well-versed in — and for how he has scored points against an ill-prepared American leader in this high-stakes diplomatic exercise."
When Putin offered the gift, he commented, "Mr. President, I'll give this ball to you, and now the ball is in your court," an apparent reference to the U.S. involvement in hosting the 2026 World Cup. Upon receiving it, President Trump tossed the ball to Melania Trump and said, "that'll go to my son, Barron."