‘He didn't want to have that’: Trump claims son returned money to Russian oligarch who helped fund part of wedding celebrations

President Donald Trump stated on Friday that his son, Donald Trump Jr., returned the money to the Russian oligarch who funded part of his lavish wedding celebrations, after concerns arose regarding potential ethical violations and the influence of foreign adversaries. According to a ProPublica investigation published earlier this week, the amount reportedly totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars and was used for post-wedding celebrations, including a party on a private island in the Bahamas and a fireworks display.

The payment to the president's son came from Umar Kremlev, who is the president of the International Boxing Association, one of Russia's most controversial sports organizations, as various independent media outlets have revealed that the association is embroiled in numerous controversies and is funded by the Russian state-owned natural gas company Gazprom. Furthermore, Kremlev is known for being one of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Russia, to the point that several media outlets reported that he had traveled with Putin to China prior to Trump Jr.'s wedding.

During a question-and-answer session in the Oval Office at the White House, several reporters asked Trump if he considered it appropriate for his son to accept Kremlev's gift shortly after his wedding. "Well, it’s totally allowed, and a lot of people have parties, and all, but it’s totally allowed. As I understand it, he paid him back. He didn’t want to have that, so I hear he paid him back."

Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Anderson, had previously confirmed in a statement that Kremlev had funded some aspects of their wedding celebration and defended their decision to accept the gift. The statement, posted on Anderson's Instagram account but signed "Don and Bettina," described the celebration organized by Kremlev as an event that took place after the actual wedding ceremony.

"Our dear friend Umar very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding. It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful," the statement noted.

"It's unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from. Friendship doesn't require a political motive. Generosity doesn't automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift," they explained.