Trump Accused of Receiving $7.8M From Foreign Governments

Facts

• In a report released on Thursday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have claimed that businesses owned by former Pres. Donald Trump received at least $7.8M in payments from foreign governments while he was in office. The alleged payments took place in two of the four years of Trump's administration.¹
• The report states that Trump-owned hotels in Washington, Las Vegas, and New York, as well as Trump Tower in Manhattan, accepted payments from foreign governments and officials in violation of the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause.²
• China was allegedly the biggest patron of the Trump businesses, spending more than $5.5M at the then-president's properties, followed by Saudi Arabia and its royal family (with over $600K), Qatar, Kuwait, and India.³
• The report, which draws upon documents received from Mazars, Trump's former accounting firm, after a years-long legal battle, suggests the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China paid $5.4M for a lease at Trump Tower.⁴
• Furthermore, the Democrats claim Trump handed control of his businesses to his two adult sons while in the White House instead of divesting himself, eventually prioritizing 'his personal interest over those of the nation.'⁵
• Meanwhile, House Republicans accused the Democrats of releasing the 156-page to deflect from the allegations of tens of millions of dollars in cash payments Pres. Joe Biden, son Hunter, and brother James received from foreign governments, including Russia and Ukraine.⁶

Sources: ¹NBC, ²CBS, ³BBC News, ⁴The Hill, ⁵USA Today and ⁶New York Post.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by MSNBC. Thursday's bombshell report confirms that former Pres. Donald Trump used his position as president to enrich himself and his businesses. He must be penalized for accepting millions of dollars from foreign countries without congressional approval. While the $7.8M in payments is still a damning figure, it's likely only a fraction of the money Trump received to betray his oath to the Constitution.
• Republican narrative, as provided by The Gateway Pundit. It's vital to point out that Trump had abdicated all of his business dealings upon winning the presidency, and secondly, the US Supreme Court has struck down ridiculous emoluments clause lawsuits against Trump. The Democrats and their corporate media allies are blowing up a bogus report to distract the public from Pres. Joe Biden's decades of corruption and the millions of dollars he took to do the bidding of foreign regimes.

Predictions