Former U.S. President Donald Trump, during his single term presidency, benefited at least $7.8 million from 20 countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, which patronised his businesses to curry his favour, findings by House Democrats released on Thursday have shown.

The “White House For Sale” report came to light as Democrats unsuccessfully tried to rebuff an impeachment enquiry into President Joe Biden, whom Republicans are labouring hard to link to allegations of bribery and corruption through his son, Hunter, who is currently in a court battle to clear his name on tax fraud and firearms-related charges.

While Mr Trump runs a global chain of hotels and golf resorts, Mr Biden had no business and offered no service for the millions of dollars traced to his family members’ accounts, including his son Hunter and brother Jim during his vice presidency between 2009 and 2017.

Hunter, a lawyer, maintains the millions of dollars were legitimately earned through business transactions that include the provision of legal services and his membership on corporate boards.

However, White House For Sale detailed the foreign dealings that Mr Trump and his companies had, all of which were in flagrant violation of the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which forbids public officials from accepting gifts and cash from foreign countries without the knowledge or approval of Congress.

China was the highest patroniser of Mr Trump’s businesses, as about $5.6 million was lavished at the Trump Tower and two international hotels in Washington DC and Las Vegas, also owned by the former president between 2016 and 2021.

The transactions were aimed at obtaining foreign policies that would favour China, the report stated.

“These payments were made while these governments were promoting specific foreign policy goals with the Trump Administration and even, at times, with President Trump himself, and as they were requesting specific actions from the United States to advance their own national policy objectives,” said the report.

Other countries mentioned in the report include the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malaysia, Kuwait, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Jamie Raskin, a top Democrat, said he was sure that the $7.8 million was only “a fraction” of the monies Mr Trump’s businesses, which took advantage of the presidency, pocketed while in office.

“It is true that $7.8 million is almost certainly only a fraction of Trump’s harvest of unlawful foreign state money, but this figure in itself is a scandal and a decisive spur to action,” Mr Raskin said on Thursday.

“By elevating his personal financial interests and the policy priorities of corrupt foreign powers over the American public interest, former President Trump violated both the clear commands of the Constitution and the careful precedent set and observed by every previous Commander-in-Chief,” the top Democrat added.

However, Mr Trump’s son, Eric, has always denied the corruption allegations, emphasising that his father’s business operations had no bearing on his judgements as president.

Still, Mr Raskin and other Democrats have persisted in their accusations that the former president took foreign money despite his longstanding reputation as a multimillionaire real estate investor, but they continue to turn a blind eye to the bribery allegations against Mr Biden, whose biggest obstacle to a second term is Mr Trump.