Trump calls the arrangement “totally allowed” and says Kremlev was repaid
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump called the Kremlev-funded celebration "totally allowed," said "a lot of people have parties," and said that "as I understand it, he paid them back," adding "I hear he paid them back" without elaborating. He said giving wedding parties to people is "very common" and that he has done so himself.
Responding to
Kremlev funding a wedding-related celebration for Donald Trump Jr. is an ordinary, permissible gift, comparable to wedding gifts other people receive, and Kremlev has since been repaid.
“It's totally allowed. And a lot of people have parties and all. But, as I understand it, he paid them back. I hear he paid them back. That's very common. I've given wedding parties to numerous people.”
Reporting
Other statements by Donald Trump in this case
- Trump says he has “no idea who Umar is” and calls it “not a big deal”Earlier: Minimized
Where this statement fits
Should the Senate Judiciary Committee Subpoena Donald Trump Jr. Over His Kremlev-Funded Wedding Celebration?
Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association and a Putin ally sanctioned by Ukraine, helped fund a private-island celebration for Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump's May 2026 wedding, including a fireworks show, ProPublica reported in September 2026. Bettina Trump acknowledged the arrangement on Instagram, calling Kremlev a "dear friend." The same day, President Trump told NBC News he had "no idea who Umar is, never heard of him," and called it "not a big deal." Four days later, in the Oval Office, Trump instead defended the arrangement as "totally allowed" and said he understood Kremlev had been repaid. On September 21, Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) wrote the Senate Judiciary Committee asking it to subpoena both Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden, arguing the episode and Hunter Biden's past foreign business dealings both raise questions about "the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit." The Judiciary Committee had not committed to acting as of this writing.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The AP's report of Trump's remarks to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, September 18, 2026, updated 6:28 PM EDT. It also quotes Trump saying he had given "wedding parties to numerous people" himself.
Before the quotation
Trump did not attend the wedding or the celebration, saying at the time he was too busy.
After the quotation
Trump did not provide details on how or when Kremlev was repaid.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to whether Donald Trump Jr.'s acceptance of a Kremlev-funded wedding celebration was improper, Trump now expressly defends the arrangement as permissible ("totally allowed") and normalizes it by comparing it to his own practice of giving wedding parties, rather than disputing that it happened or downplaying it as in his September 14 statement. It supersedes that statement because it is Trump's own account of the same episode, now accepting and defending facts (Kremlev's identity and involvement) that his earlier statement disputed.
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More from this case
Read the full caseTrump Jr.'s spokesperson calls the Kremlev tie a personal friendship
“Don has made clear that he has a personal friendship, not a business relationship, with Umar. Their friendship is largely based on their shared love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that they went hunting together earlier this year”Read statement
Emmer calls the proposed Trump Jr. inquiry a partisan distraction
“This partisan distraction is NOT what the American people voted for!”Read statement
Jim Banks opposes a Senate inquiry into Trump Jr. over the wedding celebration
“Don Jr. is a businessman, not an administration official. There is no evidence he sold access to the presidency. That is the difference between him and Hunter Biden and it is not a small one. The Senate should investigate actual crimes, not manufacture fake ones.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Trump calls the arrangement “totally allowed” and says Kremlev was repaid". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1445-speaking-to-reporters-in-the-oval-office-trump