Politics
Donald Trump Jr. Accused of Killing Endangered Animal on Trophy Hunting Trip With Russian Oligarch
Donald Trump Jr. spent two days of a week-long trophy hunting trip alongside a Russian oligarch with ties to the Kremlin in August 2026, during which a guide claimed the president’s son, 48, killed an endangered animal.
It is reportedly the third time since 2019 that Donald Jr. has shot and killed an Altai argali, an endangered sheep prized for its enormous horns, according to a story published Wednesday, October 28, by the Financial Times.
Guides and local officials confirmed the week-long trip to western Mongolia, per the outlet, which said it also reviewed flight-tracking data, social media posts and public records in its reporting.
Donald Jr. reportedly spent two days hunting alongside Umar Kremlev. The Russian businessman, 43, was allegedly convicted of extortion and battery as a young adult, according to leaked criminal records cited by Financial Times, and purportedly has close ties to the personal security service of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Don has made clear that he has a personal friendship, not a business relationship, with Umar,” a spokesperson for President Donald Trump‘s son told Financial Times. “Their friendship is largely based on their shared love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors.”
The hunting trip came after Kremlev reportedly attended and helped pay for a post-wedding celebration for Donald Jr. on a private island in the Bahamas in May, according to a report by ProPublica on September 14.
“It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend, and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful,” Donald Jr. and his new wife, Bettina Anderson, said in a statement to ProPublica shortly after the story was released.
That Friday, President Trump said Donald Jr. told him it was his intention to repay Kremlev, per Reuters, calling the controversy “not a big deal.” In an October 6 story, the Associated Press reported Kremlev confirmed that Donald Jr. “did repay the money I spent on the present.”
The latest hunting trip follows a December 2019 report from ProPublica that the president’s son allegedly shot and killed an Altai argali in August of that year before purportedly receiving a retroactive permit from the Mongolian government the following month.
