President Donald Trump stated Friday that his son, Donald Trump Jr., has repaid a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin who hosted events after Trump Jr.'s wedding. The president and the Trump Organization have not provided evidence to support this claim.
Trump made the remarks in the Oval Office when asked if it was appropriate for his son to accept the gift from Umar Kremlev. "Well, it's totally, it's totally allowed. And a lot of people have parties and all, but it's totally allowed," Trump said. "But as I understand it, he paid them back. He didn't want to have that, so I hear he paid them back. A person that he knows pretty, I guess a friend of his, gave him a wedding party. That's very common."
ProPublica first reported on Kremlev's gift to Trump Jr. Lawmakers and critics have expressed concern that accepting expensive gifts from foreign adversaries could create conflicts of interest and potential leverage over the president's family.
When questioned about Kremlev's Kremlin ties, Trump suggested his son "didn't do a background check." The president added, "No, I heard I heard about that. I actually heard that -- when I heard the story, I asked about it. He said, 'No, I'm paying it back, Dad.' So, and that was a while ago."
ABC News has sought evidence from the White House and The Trump Organization that Trump Jr. repaid Kremlev.
Donald Trump Jr.'s wife, Bettina Anderson, previously posted on Instagram that Kremlev "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding. It was an extraordinary gift from a friend and something for which were and remain incredibly grateful."
Kremlev's press office told ProPublica that "Mr. Kremlev and Mr. Trump Jr have a friendly relationship" and that they first met "a couple of years ago." ABC News has reached out to Kremlev for comment.