US President Donald Trump said Friday that his eldest son had repaid a Kremlin-linked Russian businessman for hosting two days of wedding festivities in the Bahamas in May.
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump said Monday that their “dear friend” Umar Kremlev had “very generously hosted two incredible nights.”
The lavish gesture quickly raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and foreign influence.
Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office whether accepting the gift had been appropriate, Trump replied: “It’s totally allowed, but as I understand it, he paid him back.”
“I guess a friend of his gave him a wedding party. That’s very common. I’ve heard of many people giving wedding parties. I’ve given many parties,” he added.
When reminded that Don Jr. had not previously disclosed the reimbursement, Trump said he had raised the matter after learning about the arrangement.
“When I heard the story, I asked about it and he said ‘No, I’m paying him back, Dad,’ and that was a while ago, so I’ve heard he’s paid him,” Trump said.
The wedding expenses came to light after the investigative news outlet ProPublica reported that Kremlev had covered the cost of the celebrations, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Trump said at the time that he did not know Kremlev. He did not attend the wedding, saying he was occupied with discussions related to the Iran war.
Don Jr. and Bettina Trump later confirmed the gift in a joint Instagram post and defended accepting it.
“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,” the post said.
Kremlev heads the International Boxing Association (IBA), which was cut off by the International Olympic Committee after repeated concerns about its financial governance and ethical standards.
Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded Kremlev the Order of Friendship in April 2026, according to an IBA news release that included a photograph of the two men shaking hands.
The IBA website also published photographs of Donald Trump Jr. appearing on stage with Kremlev at an event in Istanbul in September 2025.
ProPublica published a group photograph from the wedding that it said appeared to show the top of Kremlev’s head.
According to the Russian investigative outlet Proekt, Kremlev was born in Tajikistan, worked as a mid-level boxing promoter and developed ties with the Federal Protective Service, or FSO, which is responsible for protecting senior Russian officials.
Proekt also reported that Kremlev is a member of the pro-Kremlin Night Wolves motorcycle club.
The club rode in large numbers to Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula shortly after Russia annexed it in March 2014, while some of its members later fought alongside pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
During his first term, Trump was the subject of an investigation into alleged ties between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, which the Republican billionaire repeatedly dismissed as a “witch hunt.”
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