Everyone understands that there is something disturbing about Donald Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin. In a world where Trump manages to label everyone with a nickname, Putin has escaped intact. It is also shocking that during Trump’s time in the White House he displayed more antagonism toward strong allies like Justin Trudeau and Angela Merkel. No one has ever sufficiently explained why Trump demonstrates such subservience beyond simply loving Vlad. Pushing toward November 5th, we’re again forced to deal with Trump’s potentially dangerous relationship with Russia as he demonstrates some personal loyalty perhaps at the expense of American interests.
CNN obtained the first advanced copy of Bob Woodward’s new book War. The book primarily covers the Biden White House’s response to Russia’s war against Ukraine. But Woodward also touches on Trump’s post-White House activities. He reports that Trump has personally called Putin “about” seven times in the four year period. This revelation would be less outrageous if Putin hadn’t started the war with Ukraine putting Russia’s interests up against those of the U.S. and NATO allies. What did they talk about?
We are left to wonder – and possibly shudder – if Trump is still getting top-secret briefings like all other ex-presidents. The briefings are done because a current president might want to discuss something that arose under a former president. If Trump received those briefings it’s possible Trump passed valuable information along to Putin. We can’t yet know. We only know that they discussed something during those calls. They didn’t just say “hello.”
Woodward did discover a weird and perhaps telling revelation. During the peak of the COVID epidemic Trump sent Putin personal “Abbot Point of Care” tests for Putin’s own private and personal use. As if that were not bad enough, Putin then had to coach Trump regarding the exchange in order to keep Trump from being his own worst political enemy. As detailed by Mediaite:
During the height of the pandemic, Russia and the United States did exchange medical equipment such as ventilators. But Putin — who infamously isolated himself over fears of Covid — told Trump on a phone call to keep the delivery of the Abbott machines quiet, Woodward reports.
Woodward then writes that Putin said to not tell anyone about the gift. We don’t know if Putin’s paranoia about the disease or just raw political savvy led him to insist that Trump keep the deal private. But Trump initially didn’t worry, saying – “I don’t care,” and then “it’s fine.” But Putin wasn’t having it:
“No, no,” Putin said. “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don’t care about me.”
Just what we needed. Not only was Trump doing a big favor to a murderous adversary but Putin also had to coach Trump on the political reality. It is impossible to know how many times Putin may have extended similar “advice” (Or why) previously and certainly not know if Putin continues to coach Trump. It is possible that secret favors might be used to pay for advice or actions.. Like so much of Trump’s behavior with respect to Russia, voters are flying blind.
The relationship was disturbing enough when Trump emerged as a scared cat at the Helsinki summit. But as noted, the war raises the stakes in the relationship to the highest levels. Putin is a reckless killer and up against Western interests. He knew he would become an international villain in invading Ukraine and went forward anyway. Now he is bogged down in part because of American aid. If those supplies end in a potential Trump administration, Ukraine might not be able to hold out.
If Ukraine loses it would put other Western allies in eastern Europe at risk. Hungary or Bulgaria could ally with Russia in a new bloc that might threaten other former Iron Curtain nations . it may only result in fierce economic war. The situation would continue to worsen.
It is wrong to have to wonder whether Trump continues to make promises or do favors for Putin in exchange for advice or action. It does seem like Putin is more of a “boss” figure than friend to Trump. It was always bad – it now seems worse. Putin acts on behalf of his own interests. So does Trump. So what is Trump getting in this relationship?
Woodward’s report could function as the October surprise everyone expects – the news only hit today. As per usual the “Trump-Putin thing” is hard to understand and impossible to predict. That’s a problem.
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This will blow over and be forgotten in about…three, two, one. Gone. No new media will mention it or if they do, it will be just in passing. Disgusting that that worm of a man gave our biggest adversary precious, much needed covid supplies, but also he had had regular conversations with the man since leaving the residency and no one can say if orangeman had intel briefings???
Very, very, VERY early in the pandemic, Bob Woodward reported that Trump was actively ignoring and then actively destroying the ability of the U.S. to respond because a pandemic could make him look bad!! So, yah, self-fulfilling much? Trump angrily called Bob Woodward fake news. Now, Woodward is reporting, from Trump who can’t keep his mouth shut, that Putin received pandemic aid while Americans died. And, Trump is now saying Woodward is a liar who has Trump Derangement Syndrome! Hmm…who ya gonna believe?…Woodward or a lying sack of Trump?! 🤬
Putin has some kind of hold over trump, but it’s probably not the pee tapes. More likely he knows all about trump’s (alleged) laundering of money from the Russian mob, which goes back to the 1990’s. trump regaining power would be catastrophic for NATO, Ukraine and the Western Alliance in general, and his renewed access to the country’s top secrets and intelligence would simply be intolerable. It goes beyond security risk to enemy of the state, full on traitor.
How could it come to this?
trump blows vlad because of all the money-laundering russians vlad sends his way.
Orangebob Von Shitzinpantz Is in love with Putie Pew! After all we know he is a fan of Hitler and other fascist dick-taters! Orangebob Von Shitzinpantz should have been tried and convicted (it is an open and shut case!) of treason and shot!
Need more context to this story:
After SADIST Trump did NOTHING to help get PPE to health care workers in Hospitals in New York and other Dem cities who desperate for masks – these were the people in urgent care and hospitals were responding & completely overwhelmed by local COVID epidemics with bodies being stacked in freezer trucks….
….Private groups rallied to send hundreds of thousands of FDA certified N-95 & KN-95 masks and other PPE to hospitals.
….SADIST NAZI Trump then retaliated, wanting to maximize the deaths in blue cities in blue states. In April 2021 he ordered FEMA agents in Dem cities in Dem states (New York City, San Francisco) to confiscate these same hundreds of thousands of these masks.
Here’s a link to one of the many stories documenting this .. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/05/16/trump-team-seized-my-masks-for-coronavirus-health-workers-column/5191035002/
So now we finally know where some of these masks TRAITOR TRUMP/PUTIN’S PUPPET STOLE went to…. …besides being resold by Don The Con on the black market to stuff cash $$$ into his own pocket!
I think there’s more to the “pee tape” then any kind of golden showers, Twitler wouldn’t care if that got out, neither would most of his supporters. Pukin’s got something on him, something that could convince his supporters he’s as bad as we’ve always said. Wonder who’s working on finding that?