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Russia15 September, 20262 min read

Donald Trump Says Donald Trump Jr. Will Repay Russian Billionaire Umar Kremlev for Bahamas Wedding

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Bettina Anderson confirms Umar Kremlev funded two post-wedding celebrations in the Bahamas. Donald Trump says Jr. repaid the money to the Putin-linked oligarch.

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Donald Trump Says Donald Trump Jr. Will Repay Russian Billionaire Umar Kremlev for Bahamas Wedding
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Repayment claim in Oval Office

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that his son, Donald Trump Jr., told him he would repay the Russian billionaire Umar Kremlev, who funded part of the wedding celebration in the Bahamas. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, "As far as I understand, he returned the money," referring to Kremlev.

Trump also said it was "totally permissible" for Kremlev to fund the celebration, adding that he dismissed concerns about Kremlev’s ties to the Kremlin by saying, "Maybe (Trump Jr.) didn’t do a background check." The reporting also notes that Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina Anderson, previously confirmed in a statement that Kremlev financed some aspects of their wedding celebration and defended accepting the gift.

Image from ABC News
Image: ABC News
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Democrats investigate, lawyers deny

The controversy has prompted Democrats in the US Congress to launch an investigation into reports that Kremlev paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for wedding festivities in the Bahamas in May. Trump told reporters that when he asked his son about the report, Don Jr. responded, "No, I'm paying it back, Dad."

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Trump "doesn’t know who this person is" and dismissed the idea that his department was investigating. The reporting also describes Kremlev as the president of the International Boxing Association and says he did not immediately respond to requests for comment late on Friday.

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Image: ABC News
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Kremlev ties and scrutiny

The dispute centers on Kremlev’s role in financing parts of the wedding celebrations for Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson, including after-parties in the Bahamas in May. Bettina Trump’s Instagram post described Kremlev as a "dear friend" who "very generously hosted two incredible nights" of celebrations after their wedding.

The reporting also says ProPublica reported that Kremlev had close ties to the Russian government and that he is president of the International Boxing Association. In addition, the sources say Kremlev was honored with the "Order of Friendship" by Putin in April 2026, and that the IBA website showed photos of Trump Jr. standing on stage with Kremlev at an event in Istanbul in September 2025.

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