Daniel Wolfram
The same Russian oligarch who bankrolled the president’s son’s most recent wedding apparently has a close friendship with Don Jr.
What was the son of the United States president doing in Mongolia?
A lot of lawmakers on Capitol Hill are asking that same question after it was revealed that Donald Trump Jr. has been going on secret hunting trips with a Russian oligarch and friend of Putin.
That same oligarch bankrolled Don Jr.’s latest wedding and both Republicans and Democrats are now asking: How far-reaching is this friendship?
Secret hunting trip in Mongolia
Donald Trump Jr. traveled into the remote Mongolian backcountry late last summer for an off-the-grid hunting expedition. While exploring the rugged terrain of Uvs province, he shot an Altai argali, a rare wild mountain sheep.
However, what was more notable was the company he kept during the trip. Umar Kremlev, a Russian sports official and businessman with ties to Vladimir Putin, also went to Mongolia and spent two days at the same campsite as Don Jr., the Financial Times reported.
Both men kept their time together quiet. A trek participant noted that the two were “cautious” about being photographed side by side, and videos shared online by Kremlev showed local staff while Trump Jr. was kept in the background.
Island gifts questioned
The excursion took place three months after the lavish wedding Trump Jr. threw in the Bahamas. It was later revealed that it was the same Kremlev who footed the entire cost for Trump Jr.’s wedding festivities after he tied the knot with Bettina Anderson.
The covered costs included renting a private island along with an elaborate fireworks display.
Anderson described that money as a friendly gift in an Instagram post, while the president later asserted that his son had already paid back Putin’s friend.
Aides to Trump Jr. also dismissed any suspicion. They maintained that the men bonded strictly over outdoor sports and that no business deals were discussed. “It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that they went hunting together earlier this year,” a spokesperson said.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to investigate
Holden Triplett, a former counterintelligence director on the National Security Council under the previous administration, highlighted how this relationship puts Trump Jr. in a vulnerable position.
“It really doesn’t matter if people have the most above-board intentions,” Triplett told the Financial Times. “The moment the Russian security and intelligence services figure out someone has a relationship with anyone of high value, they will try to weaponize that.”
After the latest revelation, pressure is mounting on Don Jr. from both sides of the aisle. Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah is pushing Congress to further investigate the funds for the wedding party. A political storm may be brewing after the midterms, when a new Congress will be in session.
