President Donald Trump said the private funding of his son’s Bahamas wedding celebrations is “totally allowed,” while indicating he was told the money would be paid back.
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President Donald Trump defended an account of financial backing for his son’s wedding celebrations that has been linked to a Russian-connected figure, while also saying he had been told the funds would be repaid.
Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, addressing the controversy after ProPublica reported that Umar Kremlev—described as having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin—helped pay for the rental of a private island and a fireworks show tied to Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson’s wedding in the Bahamas in May.
The president said what he understood was “totally allowed,” adding that people regularly host parties and that his son’s wedding festivities involved “a person that he knows” who gave what he described as common gift support.
Trump also suggested there was no formal vetting process for such gifts, while not providing specific details about the circumstances beyond saying he’d been told the money would be returned. He later added, “I hear he paid them back,” without explaining how repayment was handled or when it occurred.
In response to the reporting, Trump said for the first time that he had heard about Kremlev’s involvement previously, describing a conversation in which he said his son told him that he was paying the money back to the person involved.
Trump recounted that he had asked about Kremlev, and that his son replied, “No, I’m paying him back, Dad,” while Trump said the discussion had taken place “a while ago,” according to his comments to reporters.
ProPublica’s reporting this week characterized Kremlev’s contribution as substantial, including paying “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for expenses such as renting one of two private islands where the three-day party was held, along with other celebration costs.
The couple’s public posting also acknowledged Kremlev in the context of the festivities. Bettina Trump wrote on an Instagram post signed by the couple that Kremlev, identified as head of the International Boxing Association, was a “dear friend” who “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations” after their wedding.
Trump’s remarks came as Russia continues its war with Ukraine more than four years after its February 2022 invasion, a backdrop that has heightened scrutiny of business and political ties involving Russian figures.
The controversy also intersects with Kremlev’s international profile: the International Boxing Association recently honored him with the Order of Friendship by Putin, and ProPublica cited Chinese state media saying he accompanied Putin to China as part of a Russian delegation.
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