This is exactly the sort of thing that erodes trust in our institutions. Even if accepting a lavish “wedding gift” from a Putin ally isn’t technically illegal for a private citizen, the optics are awful — especially given the Trumps’ enormous wealth and the family’s past entanglements with Russian figures. Hundreds of thousands of dollars for fireworks and private islands paid by someone tied to Putin looks less like generosity and more like influence-buying. We need full transparency: itemized disclosures, guest logs, and any communications between the parties. Ethics watchdogs and Congress should examine whether any favors or policy considerations were expected in return. Democracy depends on leaders and their families avoiding even the appearance of cozying up to authoritarian regimes.