President Donald Trump received a commemorative Super Bowl ring from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to mark the occasion of being the first professional sports team to visit the White House during Trump's presidency.
During the team’s visit in April, Trump was given a custom jersey and a helmet, and the ring was given later after Trump told Kraft the team was the first to visit the White House during his presidency, USA Today reported. Kraft is a longtime friend of Trump, the newspaper noted.
The team pays for commemorative rings to be made and given as gifts in addition to the ones given to players and staff, USA Today reported. No exact price tag was given for the ring’s cost, but the 2015 rings were valued at $36,500 each. Trump is prohibited from receiving gifts valued above $375, but Patriots spokesman Stacey James said that Trump would likely include the ring in his presidential library rather than keeping it as a personal gift.
James also said that this year’s tour, the fifth made by the Patriots in recent years, saw the team treated the best, with the most impressive tour and the most time with the president, SB Nation reported.
Kraft was visiting Russia in 2005 when he showed Vladimir Putin his Super Bowl XXXIX ring and never got it back from Putin after the Russian leader tried it on, Sports Illustrated reported.
Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama were not given Super Bowl rings during visits in 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2015, SB Nation reported.
Twitter followers had mixed views about the gift.