President Donald Trump, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake arms originally of a gathering on the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Donald Trump has had as many as seven non-public telephone calls with Vladimir Putin since leaving workplace and secretly despatched the Russian president COVID-19 take a look at machines throughout the peak of the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported in his new guide, Battle.
The revelations had been made within the famed Watergate reporter’s newest guide, which additionally particulars President Joe Biden’s frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ‘s assortment of burner telephones. The Related Press obtained an early copy of the guide, which is due out subsequent week.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, denied the accounts within the guide. “None of those made up tales by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a very demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Mr. Cheung mentioned in a press release.
Right here is extra from the guide:
Mr. Woodward studies that Trump requested an aide to go away his workplace at his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago in order that the previous president might have a personal name with Mr. Putin in early 2024. The aide, whom Mr. Woodward doesn’t title, mentioned there have been a number of calls between Trump and Mr. Putin since Trump left workplace, maybe as many as seven in that interval, in line with the guide.
Trump’s relationship with Mr. Putin has been scrutinized since his 2016 marketing campaign for President, when the then-candidate memorably referred to as on Russia to seek out and make public lacking emails deleted by Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent. “Russia, for those who’re listening, I hope you’re capable of finding the 30,000 emails which might be lacking,” he mentioned.
U.S. intelligence companies later decided that Russia had meddled within the 2016 election to assist Trump, although an investigation by particular counsel Robert Mueller discovered no conspiracy between the Trump workforce and Russia. In 2018, Trump publicly questioned that discovering following an in-person assembly with Mr. Putin in Helsinki.
In recent times, Trump has criticized U.S. help for Ukraine because it fights off Russia’s invasion. He has mentioned Ukraine ought to have made concessions to Mr. Putin earlier than Russia invaded in 2022. He additionally beforehand touted his good relationship with Mr. Putin and referred to as the Russian chief “fairly good” for invading Ukraine.
Woodward additionally studies that Trump despatched Mr. Putin COVID-19 take a look at machines for his private use because the virus started spreading in 2020.
Mr. Putin advised Trump to not inform anybody as a result of folks could be mad at Trump over it, however Trump mentioned he didn’t care if anybody knew, in line with the guide. Trump ended up agreeing to not inform anybody.
The guide doesn’t specify when the machines had been despatched however describes it as being when the virus unfold quickly by way of Russia. It was beforehand reported by The Related Press and different companies that Trump’s administration in Might 2020 despatched ventilators and different gear to a number of nations, together with Russia.
Certainly one of Trump’s longest-term allies, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, blamed Trump’s ongoing false claims that the 2020 election was rigged to a cult of persona through which the previous President’s ensconcement at Mar-a-Lago and circle of aides and advisers “consistently feed this narrative,” in line with the guide.
The weekend after Russia invaded Ukraine, Graham was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which the Senator characterised as “a bit bit like going to North Korea.” Mr. Graham added that “everyone stands up and claps each time Trump is available in.”
On politics, Mr. Woodward wrote that Mr. Graham’s counsel was a part of what persuaded Trump to run once more for the presidency.
In March, throughout one in every of his many visits to the Center East since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Mr. Graham advised Woodward that he had been assembly with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when Graham urged they name Trump. From “a bag containing about 50 burner telephones,” Prince Mohammed “pulled out one labeled ‘TRUMP 45.’” On one other journey, Woodward wrote, the Saudi chief retrieved one other “burner telephone, this time labeled: JAKE SULLIVAN ” when the boys referred to as Biden’s Nationwide Safety Adviser.
The guide additionally particulars Mr. Biden’s difficult relationship with Mr. Netanyahu in addition to non-public moments when the President has been fed up with him over the Israel-Hamas struggle.
Mr. Biden’s “frustrations and mistrust” of Netanyahu “erupted” this previous spring, Woodward writes. The president privately unleashed a profanity-laden tirade, calling him a “son of a bitch” and a “unhealthy f——— man,” in line with the guide. Mr. Biden mentioned he felt, in Mr. Woodward’s accounting, that Mr. Netanyahu “had been mendacity to him often.” With Mr. Netanyahu “persevering with to say he was going to kill each final member of Hamas.” Mr. Woodward wrote, “Mr. Biden had advised him that was unattainable, threatening each privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. weapons cargo.”
Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu have lengthy been acquainted, though their relationship has not been identified to be shut or overly pleasant. Final week, Biden mentioned he didn’t know whether or not the Israeli chief was holding up a Mideast peace deal in an effort to affect the end result of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Revealed – October 09, 2024 02:45 am IST
