Donald Trump Jr. wedding celebration hosted by Putin-linked Russian businessman
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump say Umar Kremlev hosted two post-wedding nights, while reports detail alleged event costs.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump have acknowledged that Russian businessman Umar Kremlev hosted two nights of their Bahamas Donald Trump Jr. wedding celebration, drawing a firm line between those events and their private marriage ceremony.
In a joint statement posted to Bettina Trump’s Instagram account, the couple called Kremlev a friend and described the post-wedding gatherings as an unusually generous wedding present. They said the celebrations took place after the wedding, rather than being the wedding itself, NBC News reported.
The statement did not itemize costs or say how much Kremlev spent. That detail comes from ProPublica, which reported that records and interviews with people familiar with the event indicated Kremlev covered hundreds of thousands of dollars in wedding-related expenses.
Did Umar Kremlev fund Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding ceremony?
The couple’s position is no. They said they married privately with family before joining a Bahamas weekend that had already been planned as a gathering with friends, according to NBC News.
President Donald Trump also said Kremlev did not pay for the wedding ceremony. In a statement to NBC News, the president said he did not know Kremlev, did not attend either event and characterized the later gathering as an afterparty held at a different location and on a different day.
ProPublica reported that Kremlev paid for the rental of a private island used for a reception and guest lodging, as well as a fireworks display. The outlet said Kremlev’s team also helped with planning. A spokesperson for Trump Jr. did not dispute the reported payments, told ProPublica that Kremlev was Trump Jr.’s personal friend and said the two had no business relationship.
What the couple said about the Bahamas weekend
Bettina Trump said the weekend had been arranged well before the couple changed their wedding plans. They decided to marry first and attend the previously planned gathering as newlyweds, the joint statement said.
The couple rejected the suggestion that the gift necessarily carried a political purpose, saying friendship and generosity do not automatically imply an agenda. Their statement did not address the individual spending items reported by ProPublica.
Kremlev leads the International Boxing Association. NBC News and ProPublica reported that he has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Ukraine has sanctioned him. ProPublica also reported that Putin awarded Kremlev Russia’s Order of Friendship the month before the celebrations.
Trump Jr. and Kremlev appeared together at an International Boxing Association event in Turkey the previous September, according to NBC News. Trump Jr. called Kremlev a friend at that event.
Why Kremlev hosted the post-wedding celebrations, and whether he expected anything in return, remains unresolved in the reporting. Kremlev’s press office told ProPublica that the men have a friendly relationship and that political matters had not been discussed with Trump Jr.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.