Donald Trump admitted he did receive money from foreign governments such as China while he was president, as his business was providing a "service" for them.
The January 4 report alleged that four businesses owned by Trump received around $7.8 million from 20 countries during his time in office, including at least $5.5 million from China, during his first two years as president.
Former US President and 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks during a break in a live town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024.
Trump defended receiving money from China while president as his businesses were "doing services" for foreign countries.
Speaking at the town hall, Trump said he plans on retaining his stake in his real estate empire, The Trump Organization, currently largely operated by his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, if he wins the 2024 election while defending the money he previously received from foreign officials.
"If I have a hotel and somebody comes in from China, that's a small amount of money," Trump said.
Eric Trump, executive vice president of The Trump Organization, dismissed the report's finding as a "joke" and said that all the company's profits from its business with foreign governments were voluntarily donated to the United States Treasury. »
