Ahead of the US presidential polls, former US president
Donald Trump, on Wednesday, took a jibe at the report released by the Congressional Democrats and said he did not get "$8 million for doing nothing like Hunter (Biden)".
The report, which was released by House Democrats last week, alleged that about 20 foreign governments, including China and Saudi Arabia, spent at least $7.8 million at properties owned by Trump while he was US president.
At a Fox News town hall,
Trump was asked about the report.
He said, “I don't get $8 million for doing nothing like Hunter... I don't get $500,000. I don't get $500,000 for doing a painting. It's not a bad idea, I guess if you can get away with it. When I heard that I said there's no way they get away with that. But they got away with that. I guess they got away with it."
Trump stated that there was an ‘emoluments lawsuit’ against him where the “radical left, sued me for that, and I won the suit.”
“I own hotels, all over... I don't get free money. Somebody rents a hotel room, etc, etc. Much money I gave back. In fact, I didn't have to do it. You know, George Washington was a very rich man,” he said.
“People don't know that, in his essential White House, which wasn't built, but they had an office, he had a business desk and he had a country desk right next to each other. You're allowed to do that. I didn't do it,” he added.
Further responding to the allegations, he said the money he received was a ‘small amount’.
“I put everything in trust. And if I have a hotel and somebody comes in from China, that's a small amount of money. And it sounds like a lot of money. That's a small. But I was doing services for that. People were staying in these massive hotels, these beautiful hotels, because I have the best hotels, I have the best clubs, I have great stuff and they stay there and they pay.”
According to the report, the Chinese government and its entities spent the most amount of money at
Trump's properties, paying $5.5 million at the premises of the former US president in New York, Washington, and Las Vegas, Financial Times reported.
After China, Saudi Arabia and its royal family stood second in the list, having spent more than $600,000.
Besides China and Saudi Arabia, the 156-page report found that state-linked entities from Congo, Malaysia, Albania, and Kosovo spent money at the hotels and apartments owned by Trump.
The House Democrats launched a year-long investigation into whether the former president and businessman personally profited from his time in the White House.
The probe majorly relied on documents obtained from
Trump’s former accounting firm, Mazars.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
