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Join today<\/a><\/p>\n \n Already a member? Your support helps us to tell the story<\/p>\n From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n Your support makes all the difference.Read more<\/p>\n Republican Senator Thom Tillis<\/a> has slammed Donald Trump Jr.\u2019s Caribbean wedding party, bankrolled by a Russian oligarch<\/a> with ties to Vladimir Putin, as \u201cstupid on stilts.\u201d <\/p>\n He is one of a growing number of Republicans calling for an investigation into Trump Jr <\/a>after Putin ally Umar Kremlev paid for celebrations when he married socialite Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas in May. <\/p>\n Tillis, who is retiring when his term ends in January, told CNN\u2019s State of the Union Sunday<\/a> that he would leave it to the Judiciary Committee chairs to decide whether or not to subpoena the president\u2019s son, before laying into the absurdity of the situation. <\/p>\n \u201cFolks, this was stupid on stilts,\u201d Tillis, of North Carolina, said. \u201cYou\u2019d think somebody would\u2019ve gotten a memo of a bad look.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cTo have a Russian oligarch who\u2019s actually traveled in a delegation to Beijing fund some sort of island wedding for a very wealthy family that also happens to be related to the president? Come on, guys, this is amateur hour,\u201d Tillis said. <\/p>\n The North Carolina senator noted the scandal unfolded \u201cat a time when we need our pros on the field.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWe got an election to win in 37 days. How this helps\u2026I can\u2019t imagine,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n He added: \u201cMaybe Don Jr. can give us a reasonable example why tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars from an oligarch went into a wedding in some beach location, but boy, I\u2019d sure like to see the rationale behind it. On its face, it doesn’t look very smart.\u201d <\/p>\n
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\u2018To have a Russian oligarch who\u2019s actually traveled in a delegation to Beijing fund some sort of island wedding for a very wealthy family that also happens to be related to the president? Come on, guys, this is amateur hour,\u2019 Tillis said. (CNN)<\/p>\n
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Donald Trump Jr. and his wife Bettina Anderson had some of their May wedding paid for by an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Senator](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2296795882...jpeg\")
Senator John Curtis is asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate presidential family members, including a report that a Russian oligarch helped pay for the wedding party of Donald Trump Jr. (Getty)<\/p>\n