Russian oligarch paid for Trump Jr's Bahamas wedding party
ITV reports that Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to Putin, funded Donald Trump Jr's wedding party in the Bahamas.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A lavish party on a private island in the Bahamas after the wedding of Donald Trump Jr has been linked to a Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin. ITV News at Ten reported that Umar Kremlev, a prominent Russian businessman and president of the International Boxing Association, attended and paid for the celebrations following Trump Jr's marriage to Bettina Anderson.
Kremlev, who changed his name from Umar Lutfoliev, has a background that includes biker gangs and a rise through Moscow's criminal underworld before entering the world of boxing. He reportedly became close to Putin, who granted him lucrative concessions such as car dealerships and betting franchises.
The report, citing ProPublica, said Kremlev was among the guests at the event and footed the bill. The claim has not been denied by Bettina Trump, who responded on Instagram that "generosity doesn't automatically come with an agenda." Kremlev's office also stated that he and Donald Trump Jr have become close recently but have never discussed political matters.
The story is likely to raise questions given the long history of allegations, all vigorously denied by Donald Trump, about links between his family and Russia. The timing of the report is notable, coming amid ongoing political scrutiny.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, close to Putin, paid for Donald Trump Jr's wedding party in the Bahamas. | |
| The tone of a report disputed the claim that Kremlev and Trump Jr never discussed political matters. | |
| Umar Kremlev changed his name and had a criminal past involving biker gangs before rising in boxing. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 focused on the potentially embarrassing timing of the revelation, given past allegations of Russian links to the Trump family. The tone was sceptical, with the presenter calling it "bizarre" and the reporter noting that the denial from Kremlev's office should be taken with caution.
- “I think it's certainly gonna raise some eyebrows, especially given the long history of allegations all vigorously denied by Donald Trump about links to the Russians and so on.”
- “Believe that, if you will.”
- “Nothing to see here.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.