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Donald Trump says his businesses received payments from foreign governments because he was "doing services" for them.
Trump was at a Fox News town hall on Wednesday, commenting on a recent report from Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee. The report, published on January 4, said Trump's businesses had received at least $7.8 million in foreign payments during his presidency.
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"That's a small amount of money. You know, it sounds like a lot of money. That's small," Trump said at the town hall.
The former president then explained that the payments were for accommodation at his clubs and hotels.
"I was doing services for them. People were staying in these massive hotels, these beautiful hotels," Trump continued.
"I don't get $8 million for doing nothing," he said.
According to the report from the Democrats, Trump's businesses had received payments from at least 20 countries while he was in office. Foreign governments and government-controlled entities had made payments to Trump's hotels in Washington, Las Vegas, and New York.
"They ranged from the People's Republic of China to Saudi Arabia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Malaysia to Albania to Kosovo," the report said. "These countries spent — often lavishly — on apartments and hotel stays at Donald Trump's properties."
This, the report said, was a violation of the Constitution.
"President Trump never sought or received Congress's approval to keep these foreign payments, as the Constitution requires," the authors wrote.
Trump was indicted in four separate prosecutions last year and faces 91 criminal counts, ranging from falsifying business records to election interference.
His legal troubles, however, have not halted his momentum in the coming presidential election. Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, and recent polls suggest a close fight between him and President Joe Biden.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.