Former US President Donald Trump’s companies received millions of dollars from foreign governments and companies while serving in the White House, new documents released by House Democrats have revealed.
The transactions were detailed in a report titled “White House For Sale” released on Thursday. It details millions in transactions received by Trump-owned companies, including from China, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates among other nations.
The biggest spender was China, which spent $5.5 million in total on business connected to Trump, including from China’s Embassy in the US, a state-owned bank and Hainan Airlines Holding Company.
Saudi Arabia placed second, spending more than $615,000 at Trump-owned hotels.
There were no payments in the report from Russian entities, despite the long running Democrat conspiracy known as "Russiagate" that Trump conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
As the report notes, while Trump handed over the day-to-day operations of his companies to his sons, he declined to divest his assets, as is typical for presidents before entering office. The report claims Trump maintained personal ownership and control of the companies, including the ability to draw on funds without outside oversight.
The report seemingly reflects accusations that Republicans have made against President Joe Biden and his family. Last month, House Republicans opened an informal impeachment inquiry into Biden, focusing on foreign business deals made by the president’s family members.
Responding to the report, US Rep. James Comer (R-KY) argued the situations are not comparable.
“Former President Trump has legitimate businesses, but the Bidens do not,” Comer argued, adding that in contrast to Trump, who owns several properties and businesses, the Bidens were simply “cashing in on the Biden name.”
“No goods or services were provided other than access to Joe Biden and the Biden network,” he said.
The son of the former president, Eric Trump, argued that his father’s hawkish stance on China while in office proves he was not compromised.
“That narrative is insane, there is no president in United States history who was tougher on China than Donald Trump,” he said, noting that the Chinese embassy had signed a 20-year lease in Trump Tower in 2008, long before the elder Trump entered office.
The report, however, argues that while some payments were coming in, those same countries were lobbying the Trump administration for certain policies.
“These payments were made while these governments were promoting specific foreign policy goals with the Trump administration and even, at times, with President Trump himself, and as they were requesting specific actions from the United States to advance their own national policy objectives,” the report reads.
It also points to comments Trump made during a campaign rally in 2015, bragging about his relationship with Saudi Arabia.
“Saudi Arabia, I get along great with all of them,” he said, according to the report. “They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much!”
The report urges Congress to consider new disclosure rules that will help them obtain more information. The documents come from years of litigation by Democrats to access a portion of Trump’s business records. However, once Republicans gained control of Congress, those efforts were halted.