During Donald Trump’s presidency, his businesses reportedly received payments totalling at least $7.8 million from 20 foreign governments, including India, according to a report released by Democratic members of the US House Oversight Committee on January 4.
The report, titled ‘White House for Sale: How Princes, Prime Ministers, and Premiers Paid Off President Trump,’ highlights that these payments constitute only a fraction of the overall foreign payments directed to Trump and his family during his 2017-2021 administration.
The payments were recorded over two years at four of Trump’s 500 businesses, namely Trump International Hotel in Washington DC, Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York, and Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza in New York.
The US Constitution prohibits federal officeholders from accepting money, payments, or gifts from foreign governments without Congressional consent. The report points out that Trump did not seek such consent from Congress.
The majority of the documented $7.8 million comes from the Chinese government, with $5.5 million originating from sources like the Chinese embassy, the state-run Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), and Hainan Airlines Holding Company. The data were obtained from documents from Trump’s former accounting firm, Mazars, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
China outspent the second-highest spender, Saudi Arabia, by over nine times. Other countries mentioned in the report include Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Kuwait, and the Philippines.
India ranked fifth, spending a total of $282,764 at Trump World Tower in New York and Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. from 2017 to 2020. The report provides a detailed breakdown, indicating that the Permanent Mission of India to the UN allocated $264,184 for payments to Trump World Tower during this period.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Indian government.
