Bob Woodward reports in his new book that Trump has held as many as seven private conversations many centered around when Trump was pressuring Republicans to block Ukraine aid since he left office.
The New Times reported on Bob Woodward’s new book:
Former President Donald J. Trump has secretly spoken with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia as many as seven times since leaving office, even as he was pressuring Republicans to block military aid to Ukraine to fight Russian invaders, according to a new book by the journalist Bob Woodward.
The book, titled “War” and scheduled to be published next week, describes a scene in early 2024 at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s estate in Florida, when the former president ordered an aide out of his office so he could conduct a phone call with Mr. Putin. The unidentified aide said the two might have spoken a half-dozen other times since Mr. Trump left the White House.
To say that it would be unusual for an ex-president to be talking to an enemy of the United States while running for office would be an understatement. Usually, ex-presidents get conversations with current world leaders cleared beforehand by the current administration.
If the reporting is correct and Trump had discussions with Putin while pressuring Republicans to block Ukraine ad, that sounds a lot like Trump was working with an enemy to undermine American foreign policy, which would be a violation of the Logan Act.
Trump keeps talking with Putin alone, but the US intelligence community monitors all communications with Putin, so if Trump has been chatting with his pal Vlad, there is no doubt that the government knows about it.
Donald Trump is working against America, and at the worst possible time for Republicans, the ex-president’s closeness to Putin has returned to the campaign in a big way.
To comment on this story, join us on Reddit.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
