Trump says son repaid Putin ally who paid for his wedding party

President Donald Trump has said his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has repaid a Russian businessman with Kremlin ties who helped finance his wedding after-party in the Bahamas this year, even as he defended the arrangement as “totally allowed.”

According to a report by The New York Times, Trump made the remarks on Friday after a reporter in the Oval Office questioned whether it was appropriate for his son to accept payments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“That’s very common; I’ve heard of many people giving wedding parties,” Trump said, adding, “With all of that being said, I understand that Don has paid him back.”

The gifts, which included renting a private island and a fireworks display, reportedly came from Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association. Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina, had earlier described the island trip as a pre-wedding gathering with friends rather than the actual ceremony, a distinction some ethics experts called irrelevant. The couple characterised their relationship with Kremlev as a friendship.

“I’ve given wedding parties to numerous people,” Trump said in defence of the practice.