Putin soccer ball gift to Trump may have had microchip

Putin soccer ball gift to Trump may have had microchip | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - In this July 16, 2018, file photo Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, gives a soccer ball to U.S. President Donald Trump, left, during a new conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

WASHINGTON – The soccer ball that Vladimir Putin gave President Donald Trump may have had a bug after all. Though it’s not what you’re thinking.

Adidas says that particular ball is embedded with a microchip that accesses Adidas content for display on smartphones.

After the Russian leader tossed it to Trump following their Finland summit, Sen. Lindsey Graham — a Putin critic — tweeted that he’d have it checked for listening devices.

That’s exactly what the U.S. Secret Service has done. A security screening is standard for all gifts to the president.

Trump said he would give the red-and-white ball to his 12-year-old son, Barron, a soccer fan.

Graham said he’d “never allow it in the White House.” The White House had no update Wednesday on the ball’s status.

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