President Trump’s lawyers have asked the Department of Justice for $230 million over past investigations into him. The money would be for two cases, one about how he handled classified documents that led to a 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, and another about his possible connections to Russia’s election interference in 2016.
Trump’s lawyers say that both investigations broke his rights. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who used to be Trump’s personal lawyer in criminal cases, is one of two officials who could decide if the president gets this money.
But not everyone thinks Trump should get taxpayer money. David Urban, who helped Trump during his 2016 campaign, questioned the payment request. Urban said that while an apology might make sense, using public money is different. “For John Q. Public to come out of their checkbook to pay him money, it’s not like Donald Trump’s brand has been hurt by that, right?” Urban said, according to The Hill.
Trump Talks About The Settlement Demand
When reporters asked Trump about the settlement on Tuesday, he said he did not know how much his lawyers were asking for. “I don’t know the numbers, I don’t even talk to them about it. All I know is that they would owe me a lot of money, but I’m not looking for money. I would give it to charity or something,” Trump said.
The president also talked about how strange the situation is. Since he runs the administration, any settlement decision would need his okay. “Now with the country, it’s interesting because I’m the one that makes the decision. And that decision would have to go across my desk,” Trump said. “And it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I am paying myself.”
Trump added that he thinks he was hurt badly by the investigations and that any money he got would go to charity. The president has gotten criticism over different policy choices, including his plan to send the National Guard to San Francisco.
Urban had earlier called some of the cases against Trump “egregious” but said that taxpayer money should not be used to pay him back. He thought an apology would be enough to fix any wrongdoing. He pointed out that Trump’s properties and businesses are still making money, so the investigations did not hurt the Trump Organization.
Spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said officials “follow the guidance of career ethics officials.” But the department’s top ethics adviser was fired in July, which raised worries about who will handle ethical questions about this settlement request. Meanwhile, Trump has kept talking about peaceful solutions in foreign policy matters, including his recent comments about the Gaza ceasefire.
Published: Oct 22, 2025 03:00 pm