Donald Trump received $7.8m from foreign govts during presidency: report

Former President Donald Trump faced allegations of accepting over $7.8 million from foreign governments while in office, as claimed by House Democrats in a report unveiled Thursday. 

The report highlighted that the former president received these payments from twenty foreign governments for his businesses during a two-year scrutiny period. The report exposed what Democrats termed as financial dealings with "unsavory regimes."

Rep. Jamie Raskin, leading the report, said that China led the payments, surpassing $5.5 million to Trump-owned properties. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, India, and Afghanistan were also implicated.

According to Raskin, Trump violated the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause, barring the president from accepting foreign government payments without congressional consent. Raskin criticised Trump for "pocketing millions" without seeking approval.

The funds were directed to Trump's properties, notably his hotels in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and New York City. The report suggested these payments influenced Trump's foreign policy decisions concerning these nations, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.

Documents from Mazars, Trump's former accounting firm, formed the basis of the committee's findings, obtained after extended legal battles. Despite gaps in records due to legal wrangling, Democrats claimed the acquired subset shed light on Trump's business finances during his presidency.

The report highlighted instances such as Saudi Arabia spending over $615,400 at Trump properties while Trump signed a substantial arms deal with the nation worth over $100 billion in 2017.

Trump's 2024 campaign did not respond immediately to requests for comment.