The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., reportedly shot and killed an endangered sheep in Mongolia before receiving a permit from the Mongolian government.
A ProPublica report published Wednesday found that Trump Jr.’s recent hunting trip to Mongolia in August resulted in the president’s son shooting and killing an argali, a species of sheep listed as endangered and which requires a permit to be hunted legally.
Trump Jr. was not offered a permit for shooting the animal until after he left the region, according to ProPublica, raising questions about whether he received special treatment.
The White House declined a request for comment from The Hill, and a spokesman for Trump Jr. told ProPublica that the trip was a personal excursion won at auction before Trump announced his candidacy in 2015.
Trump Jr.’s spokesman added that the permit was obtained “as is standard in the industry” through a third party.
The argali population in Mongolia is believed to sit in the low tens of thousands following years of hunting and habitat destruction.
Updated 3:43 p.m.