Get ready for the media to play this report up as though Trump had committed some high crime, but that does not appear to be the case to me.
Reports surfaced earlier this week that Donald Trump has agreed to return a set of ancient coins and ceramic oil lamps to Israel’s government.
The items were presented to Trump as a gift at his home in December 2021, but the Israeli Antiquities Agency has reportedly been pressing to have them returned, reported the New York Times.
Indian Giver
Initially, the artifacts were to be presented to Trump at the White House as a show of appreciation for all he had done for Israel.
However, the State Department insisted on inspecting the items first.
This led to delays, then the pandemic, so the individual who presented them to Trump, Saul Fox, a wealthy donor to both Israel and the Republican Party, gave them to Trump during a Hanukkah celebration at Mar-a-Lago after he left office.
According to Fox, they were given to Trump with the approval of the Antiquities Office for a “permanent exhibition” at Mar-a-Lago.
Now, however, the office wants the items back after a report appeared in a left-leaning Israeli publication, Haaretz.
The paper claimed the items were “stranded” at Mar-a-Lago and that “senior Israeli figures have unsuccessfully tried to have them returned to Israel.”
Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, defended Trump, and rightfully so, stating the items were “on loan for permanent exhibition” “to honor and celebrate American-Jewish heritage.”
He added, “As the items were displayed as originally intended, the office will be expediting their return to the organization’s representative.”
This is a nothing burger and any outlet that reports this differently is a complete and utter fraud.
