Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Sunday sharply criticized Donald Trump Jr. for accepting a wedding gift from a Russian oligarch with ties to the Kremlin, calling the decision “stupid on stilts” and warning that it undercuts Republican messaging just weeks before the midterm elections.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Tillis did not mince words when discussing Umar Kremlev, the Russian boxing promoter and Putin ally who reportedly helped fund the Caribbean wedding of Trump Jr. and Bettina Trump. “This is a man who’s worth somewhere between $300 million and $400 million,” Tillis said, referring to Kremlev. “This was stupid on stilts.”
The criticism comes after ProPublica reported that Kremlev, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, not only attended but heavily financed the lavish nuptials. The report has triggered bipartisan scrutiny and renewed questions about the Trump family’s financial entanglements with Russian figures.
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) has already asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. to testify about the matter. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) echoed that call, and Tillis said the panel should launch an investigation after the midterms. “I would leave it to” Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) regarding the “mechanics” of bringing the president’s son before the committee, Tillis said, but he made clear that the optics are damaging.
“This is amateur hour, at a time when we need our pros on the field,” Tillis told host Jake Tapper. “We have got an election we need to win in 37 days. How this helped, I can’t imagine.”
The North Carolina Republican, who is facing a competitive reelection race, suggested that Trump Jr. owes an explanation. “Maybe Don Jr. can give us a reasonable example for why tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from an oligarch went into a wedding in some beach location,” Tillis said. “But, boy, I’d sure like to see the rationale behind it. On its face, it doesn’t look very smart.”
The White House has defended the gift, with President Trump claiming that his son repaid Kremlev. Bettina Trump also pushed back on social media, writing on Instagram that Kremlev “very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER” their wedding. “Friendship doesn’t require a political motive,” she wrote on Sept. 14. “Generosity doesn’t automatically come with an agenda. And sometimes a wedding gift is simply a wedding gift.”
Tillis’s blunt remarks highlight growing unease among some Republicans about the potential political fallout as the party fights to retain control of Congress. The controversy comes at a time when GOP leaders are already bracing for midterm headwinds, and foreign policy crises are competing for voters’ attention. With Election Day fast approaching, Tillis suggested that such distractions only hurt the party’s chances.
The episode also threatens to reignite debates over Russian influence in U.S. politics, a topic that has dogged the Trump family since the 2016 campaign. While no evidence has emerged that the wedding gift was tied to any political favor, critics argue that accepting such largesse from a Putin associate is unwise and potentially compromising.
As the Senate Judiciary Committee weighs next steps, Tillis’s public rebuke signals that even some Republicans are unwilling to let the matter slide quietly. Whether the controversy fades or escalates may depend on how Trump Jr. responds to mounting questions about his relationship with Kremlev.
