House Democrats, in a recent report, revealed that former US President Donald Trump pocketed a minimum of $7.8 million from foreign governments while in office.
The report, released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, highlighted payments made to Trump’s businesses over a two-year period by 20 foreign governments.
According to Representative Jamie Raskin, leading member of the Oversight Committee, this income came from “some of the world’s most unsavory regimes.” China topped the list, contributing over $5.5 million to Trump-owned properties, with other countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, India, and Afghanistan also making payments, the report said.
Raskin said that these payments violate the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, designed to prevent the president from accepting any form of payments or gifts from foreign governments without congressional consent. Raskin asserted that Trump never sought such approval during his tenure.
Raskin said that the $7.8 million cited in the report is just a fraction of the total foreign funds received by Trump. The payments were directed to properties such as Trump’s hotels in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and New York City, personally benefiting him while he made pivotal foreign policy decisions.
Instances highlighted in the report include Saudi Arabia spending over $615,400 at Trump properties while Trump inked a $100 billion arms deal with the country in 2017.
The report is based on documents from Mazars, Trump’s former accounting firm, obtained after years of legal battles initiated by Democrats. Despite facing obstacles, Democrats managed to obtain a subset of documents, shedding light on Trump’s business finances during his presidency.
Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations.
