India, June 14 -- As President Donald Trump marks his 80th birthday on June 14, attention is turning to more than celebrations and political symbolism with a lesser-known federal law governing gifts from foreign governments is drawing renewed interest, raising a question many Americans may never have considered: Can a sitting president personally keep expensive gifts from world leaders? The answer is more complicated than it may seem, and it highlights the strict ethics rules designed to protect the White House from foreign influence.

The Rule That Follows Every President

Under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, gifts presented by foreign leaders are generally considered gifts to the United States rather than to the individual holdi...