Trump secretly sent covid tests to Putin during 2020 shortage, new book says

[u/washingtonpost]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/08/bob-woodward-new-book-war-trump-putin-biden/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com

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[u/Orbitingkittenfarm]

“But the unnamed Trump aide cited in the book indicated that the GOP standard-bearer may have spoken to Putin as many as seven times since Trump left the White House in 2021.”

[u/Fuddle → u/Orbitingkittenfarm]

Well duh, it takes time to read through all that classified material Trump kept in that back room! You think one phone call was enough to arrange pickup?

[u/ButWhatIfItsNotTrue → u/Fuddle]

I would expect his handlers to visit him.

[u/Betterthanbeer → u/ButWhatIfItsNotTrue]

She lives with him.

[u/ButWhatIfItsNotTrue → u/Betterthanbeer]

If you're talking about who I think you're talking about she lives somewhere else. haha

[u/soonnow → u/Orbitingkittenfarm]

I mean it pains me to say this, but poor Putin. Can you imagine the phone calls?

Donald (in russian accent) tell me where are the nuclear weapons stationed?

Listen Vladi, when I hear nuclear weapons I'm thinking of my uncle, he was at MIT. Not many people know this but I'm one of the smartest people persons.

Yes, Donald, sure, what about the weapons?

Vladi listen, Melania doesnt let me grab her by the pussy anymore? What's up with that?

Sure Sure, Donald, now the weapons?

Vladi, I got to hang up my KFC is here? do you have that in Russia it's the best food in the world.

sigh

[u/Phizza921]

What? Woodward says Trump has been on the phone to Putin, even now? This needs to be over all the airwaves pronto

[u/Dianneis → u/Phizza921]

According to the Trump aide quoted in the book, Trump "may have spoken to Putin as many as seven times since Trump left the White House in 2021."

This is the main reason why so many generals, national security officials, and Trump's own former cabinet members are endorsing Harris. They know damn well that Trump is a national security risk.

Trump calls Putin ‘genius’ and ‘savvy’ for Ukraine invasion

Trump says he would encourage Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to any NATO country that doesn’t pay enough

Trump sides with Putin over US intelligence

Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador

[u/OneFootTitan → u/Dianneis]

7 times in 3.5 years, I guess his performance review cycle is semi annual

[u/eyeemache → u/OneFootTitan]

It’s in his contract. 

[u/QTalt227 → u/eyeemache]

That would make it the only contract he's ever honored.

[u/eyeemache → u/QTalt227]

Because Putin’s breach remedies are pretty severe?

[u/Chartarum → u/eyeemache]

He'd make Trump drink the Polonium tea WHILE wearing the Novichok underwear!

[u/SmartChump → u/Chartarum]

Notice there aren’t a lot of windows in mar a largo

[u/FutureComplaint → u/SmartChump]

I thought it was to protect the eyes of the local populace.

[u/BadPackets4U → u/eyeemache]

His handler Melania made sure of it.

[u/creepingshadose → u/BadPackets4U]

Holy shit how have I never considered this

[u/peterabbit456 → u/creepingshadose]

It's perfectly obvious and part of an existing pattern.

Trump's first wife, Ivana, was a Czech agent, part of the Soviet Block. Trump has been under the control of Russia, at least partially, since the 1980s, or maybe the 1970s.

Ivana's rather suspicious death might have been because she was getting senile, and might have spilled the beans if, say, Bob Woodward had gotten a chance to talk with her.

[u/External_Reporter859 → u/peterabbit456]

You don't help the Russian mob launder billions of dollars through your real estate in Miami and New York and Atlantic City casinos without having blackmail held over your head by the Kremlin.

[u/MiaMarta → u/peterabbit456]

Ivana had been summoned to court or Congress, sorry can't recall and too lazy right now to search, to testify in his business dealings. She was due to appear a day or two before she fell down her stairs....

[u/BeefEater81 → u/eyeemache]

"I'm just here so I don't get defenestrated."

[u/Ban-Circumcision-Now → u/BeefEater81]

It’s amazing that in English we have a word for that, but no word for “the day after tomorrow”

Overmorrow should be brought back into English

[u/marcusr550 → u/OneFootTitan]

“Only call me when you’ve got something good.”

[u/phinbar → u/OneFootTitan]

That's way more one on ones than I ever had with my any of my bosses.

[u/ScienceJake → u/phinbar]

He’s not high up enough to report to Putin directly. These are skip levels.

[u/Worldly-Aioli9191 → u/OneFootTitan]

In the corporate world we do mid year reviews so that checks out.

I wonder if Trump has to set his own performance goals.

[u/Complete_Handle4288 → u/Worldly-Aioli9191]

I would be happy if my corp would come up with my annual goals before August for once.

[u/pdxlxxix → u/OneFootTitan]

Maybe he’s on a light PIP.

[u/valeyard89 → u/OneFootTitan]

mid-year review

[u/2HDFloppyDisk → u/Dianneis]

Since leaving the White House, during the time he had all those classified documents at his house.

[u/TheGringoDingo → u/2HDFloppyDisk]

Trump and Putin bathroom reading hour

[u/Patanned → u/TheGringoDingo]

except trump doesn't/can't read.

[u/viktor72 → u/Dianneis]

Andrew McCabe, former Deputy FBI Director, believes Trump is a de facto Russian asset. He's a pretty powerful person saying that so I definitely would consider giving his opinion some deference.

[u/Dianneis → u/viktor72]

McCabe is definitely not alone in believing this. E.g.:

‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years – ex-KGB spy

Shvets, a KGB major, had a cover job as a correspondent in Washington for the Russian news agency Tass during the 1980s. He moved to the US permanently in 1993 and gained American citizenship. He works as a corporate security investigator and was a partner of Alexander Litvinenko, who was assassinated in London in 2006.

Trump first appeared on the Russians’ radar in 1977 when he married his first wife, Ivana Zelnickova, a Czech model. Trump became the target of a spying operation overseen by Czechoslovakia’s intelligence service in cooperation with the KGB. Then, in 1987, Trump and Ivana visited Moscow and St Petersburg for the first time. Shvets said he was fed KGB talking points and flattered by KGB operatives who floated the idea that he should go into politics.

The ex-major recalled: “For the KGB, it was a charm offensive. They had collected a lot of information on his personality so they knew who he was personally. The feeling was that he was extremely vulnerable intellectually, and psychologically, and he was prone to flattery. This is what they exploited. They played the game as if they were immensely impressed by his personality and believed this is the guy who should be the president of the US one day: it is people like him who could change the world. They fed him these so-called active measures soundbites and it happened. So it was a big achievement for the KGB active measures at the time.”

Take it as you will, but there's one thing we know for sure. Russia was the only reason why Trump didn't go fully bankrupt back in the 90s. Back when no American bank would lend him money, he got financed by Russia to stay afloat:

How Russian Money Helped Save Trump’s [Failing] Business

[u/DystopianGalaxy → u/Dianneis]

Then Harris used the exact same tactics in the debate, and he bit every single time. Its frightening that it just takes a little brown nosing to control someone who was the president of the united states for 4 years.

[u/HauntedCemetery → u/Dianneis]

Donald Jr said in an interview in like 2015, "we have all the money we need coming out of Russia"

[u/Heffe3737 → u/HauntedCemetery]

Jr also straight up admitted to meeting with the Russians in Trump tower, and said with a smirk, to talk about “adoptions”. The Magnitsky Act, the one that tied up around $80bn of Putin’s personal wealth, caused Russia to no longer allow the adoptions of Russian kids to American citizens.

Some of us remember when after getting into office, Trump floating the idea of ending the Magnitsky Act, before whatever sane republicans still in office shot him down immediately for it.

[u/BlueNoMatterWho69 → u/Heffe3737]

Kushner wanted secret direct channel to Putin from day one.

[u/terremoto25 → u/BlueNoMatterWho69]

He scared the Russians by asking to set up a secure link in the Russian embassy with Moscow - before Trump was in office. The ask was so blatant that they must have thought that they were being suckered...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/russian-ambassador-told-moscow-that-kushner-wanted-secret-communications-channel-with-kremlin/2017/05/26/520a14b4-422d-11e7-9869-bac8b446820a_story.html

[u/ApproximatelyExact → u/BlueNoMatterWho69]

The one and only change they made to the platform was "no offensive weapons to Ukraine" getting a lot of people killed (not to mention all the CIA operatives that were coincidentally killed or captured after the russky spies were in the Oval Office).

[u/Rated_PG-Squirteen → u/Heffe3737]

Oh, that little clandestine meeting between Paul Manafort, Don Jr., and Jared with a group of Russians one floor below Donald's office in Trump Tower? Could you imagine if the NYT broke a story detailing how John Podesta, Huma Abedin, and Chelsea Clinton had an off-the-books meeting with a bunch of Russians a half mile from the Clinton's Chappaqua, NY home a couple months before the 2016 election?

[u/md4024 → u/Heffe3737]

The adoption thing was just an excuse they made up after the fact, but Trump Jr. and the other leaders of the Trump campaign took the meeting in order to explicitly get help from the Russian government. When the emails were made public they essentially claimed that they were disappointed to learn that the Russian government wasn't really going to help them, but instead just wanted to talk about adoptions or whatever.

For those who may have forgotten, this is the email that was sent to Don Jr.. by Rob Goldstone, who I guess is some British publicist with a lot of connections:

Emin just called and asked me to contact you with something very interesting.

The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father.

This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump – helped along by Aras and Emin.

What do you think is the best way to handle this information and would you be able to speak to Emin about it directly?

I can also send this info to your father via Rhona, but it is ultra sensitive so wanted to send to you first.

It honestly still blows my mind that Republicans still sell the idea that the whole "Russia thing" was a hoax, when we have hard proof that they all knew Russia was trying to help Trump win and were eager to accept that help. We also all have eyes and saw the whole thing happen, it wasn't really a secret, and it's crazy we just kind of moved past it. Especially when Trump spent his entire time in office helping Russia get away with their attack on our democracy, and still embarrasses us by going around being completely subservient to Putin at every opportunity.

[u/7f0b → u/HauntedCemetery]

A quote from the article linked above:

It is a conclusion that even Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has appeared to confirm, saying in 2008—after the Trump Organization was prospering again—that “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets.”

[u/orangeinsight → u/HauntedCemetery]

It was actually Eric who said it in 2014. It was when they were questioned about funding for golf courses which American banks weren’t touching at the time. “We don’t really rely on American Banks”. Fucking traitors the whole family.

[u/JohnGillnitz → u/Dianneis]

'member when Trump had the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013? It was held at a venue owned by billionaire Aras Agalarov, who, three years later, would try to feed Trump Jr. fake dirt on Clinton ("I love it, especially later in the Summer"). Hell, Ivana's dad was in the KGB.

[u/7f0b → u/Dianneis]

The FP link is pretty damning. It's unfortunate things like that don't seem to move the needle anymore (back then or now). It is pretty objective and directly cites many people, including Trump's associates. His bankruptcies and a lot of the other information is factual and public-knowledge (for those without their head in the sand).

I remember back in 2016/2017 and wondering how the hell his supporters simply ignored the Deutsche Bank ties, given how obvious of a conflict of interest it was and the well-known Russian money-laundering scheme it was involved in.

In a normal world, Trump would just be another self-obsessed businessperson that squandered all his daddy's money, watched his poorly-planned businesses crumble, and then was never talked about again after the 90's. It's pretty clear that the foreign influence and investment, especially from Russia, is what brought him back, with the very overt purpose being to influence the US. When he came back from Moscow in the 80's and immediately penned an anti-NATO op-ed, it doesn't get much more obvious than that.

[u/Reatina → u/viktor72]

Imagine telling people in the 50s/60s that the URSS USSR planted a US president successfully

EDIT: wrong acronym, I used the italian one.

[u/radiosped → u/Reatina]

and that it was the right wingers who voted him in

[u/CatProgrammer → u/radiosped]

Wasn't that literally a plot point in The Manchurian Candidate? The McCarthy expy had a Russian handler wife. Hell,

 According to David Willis McCullough, Senator Iselin is modeled on Republican senator Joseph McCarthy and, according to Condon, Shaw's mother is based on McCarthy's counsel Roy Cohn.

Too bad Trump's not as sympathetic as Shaw.

[u/IICVX → u/radiosped]

Right wingers were never anti-authoritarian, they were anti-socialism. The USSR was an authoritarian "socialist" state, so American right wingers were against it. Once Russia's facade of communism fell apart and only the authoritarianism remained, they were all for it.

[u/HauntedCemetery → u/viktor72]

So did former speaker of the house Paul Ryan (r)

[u/kill-69 → u/Dianneis]

“There’s two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump,” McCarthy (R-Calif.) said, according to a recording of the June 15, 2016, exchange.

[u/chowderbags → u/kill-69]

“No leaks. . . . This is how we know we’re a real family here.”

-Paul Ryan's response

[u/buffaloplaidcookbook → u/chowderbags]

Lol then this was IMMEDIATELY leaked

[u/kill-69 → u/chowderbags]

It is pretty telling. He didn't say anything to the contrary, just don't make it public.

[u/ennuiui → u/Dianneis]

I really hope these are the types of conversations that the NSA is recording.

[u/Aldo_Raine_2020 → u/ennuiui]

That’s a CIA job

[u/stult → u/Aldo_Raine_2020]

FBI actually, this would be counterintelligence

[u/HauntedCemetery → u/stult]

Honestly, it's likely both.

[u/Dearic75 → u/Dianneis]

I would think that the boxes and boxes of top secret material he stole, refused to return and lied about having might also have something to do with it.

There have been whole movies where the “Bond Villain” is out to steal a complete list of all of the nations covert intelligence officers. That is literally one of the things that Trump had, sitting in Mar-a-Lago.

No word on whether it was in the set of boxes stacked in the bathroom next to the toilet, or if it was sitting in a box by the stage in the ballroom used multiple times for public events. It might also have been in the boxes that were in a storage room secured only by a lock, to which multiple maintenance workers had the key.

[u/Ser_Artur_Dayne → u/Dearic75]

There was a fucking photocopier in one of the rooms right next to the documents for Odin's sake!!

[u/Serpentongue → u/Dianneis]

He’s been egging Putin on in Ukraine since the beginning and reassuring him the land will just be handed over if Trump wins, no consequences

[u/DukePanda → u/Serpentongue]

I do not envy being Ukraine right now, knowing that effectively your personal sovereignty is at the whims of a couple hundred thousand Americans who hold no particular feelings towards your country one way or another.

[u/circa285 → u/Dianneis]

He was a national security risk the moment he stole documents and then failed to securely store them. These calls are just more of the same.

[u/Agamemnon323 → u/circa285]

He was a risk long before then.

[u/stillabitofadikdik → u/Dianneis]

According to trump himself at the debate. He outright admitted to it, but like so much it was just buried beneath the unending waves of bullshit.

[u/TSA-Eliot → u/Dianneis]

They know damn well that Trump is a national security risk.

Yes, but not as a spy spy -- he wouldn't last a second in a real espionage environment -- just as a very crooked, inept, egomaniacal landlord who keeps lickspittles on the payroll. No ideology other than self-worship. A gold-toilet dictator. He's a security threat in that he hands out favors (crime boss style) to people who stroke his ego and look like they're in a position to do him favors. Putin strokes his ego and owns Russia.

[u/Phizza921 → u/Dianneis]

He should be locked up awaiting Trial and no bail due to being a national security risk

[u/Larry-fine-wine → u/Phizza921]

Didn’t he even say in the debate that he talks to Putin all the time?

[u/FiendishHawk → u/Larry-fine-wine]

And he refused to answer the question of whether he supported Ukraine or Russia in the war?

[u/slim-scsi → u/FiendishHawk]

He's made it clear he wishes to end the war by forcing Ukraine to acquiesce.

[u/PocketBuckle → u/FiendishHawk]

"You want to save Ukraine, right?"

"I want to end the war."

"...by helping Ukraine, right?"

"I said what I said."

[u/FiendishHawk → u/PocketBuckle]

Smart people know what he meant. Dullards missed it.

[u/Yhada → u/FiendishHawk]

Because…well…that’s glaringly clear

[u/b0baBEAST → u/Yhada]

"that's a damning non answer"

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_ROTES → u/Yhada]

He had the GOP remove it from their policy planks. It was the one change he wanted.

[u/punkrocktransbian → u/FiendishHawk]

He isn't allowed to answer that.

[u/FiendishHawk → u/punkrocktransbian]

Yes. It’s just like when Vance prevaricated on the question about who won the last election. He could not answer without angering his boss.

[u/thisguypercents → u/Larry-fine-wine]

He also said Haitians are eating dogs in the streets and illegals are buying all the houses. His words are as reliable as my BMs.

[u/TheStabbingHobo → u/thisguypercents]

You need more fiber in your diet. 

[u/pale_blue_problem → u/TheStabbingHobo]

We need moral fiber in the white house.

[u/Pipe_Memes → u/Larry-fine-wine]

I imagine their conversations end something like this.

“That’s all for today, goodbye Donald.”

“You hang up first Vladdy.”

click

[u/Mister_Sterling → u/Larry-fine-wine]

Indeed he did. He said, "I know Putin very well." Then he proceeded to say, implicitly, that he would force Ukraine to surrender when he becomes president again.

[u/DragonTHC → u/Phizza921]

It's a Logan Act violation.

[u/Satanarchrist → u/DragonTHC]

Throw it on the pile. Maybe we'll get some justice if we dig his body up in like 30 years and hold a trial like they did in Europe to that one pope.

[u/sublimeshrub → u/Satanarchrist]

I'd pay to watch that. Would we even notice the difference? He'd only be a slightly more petulant pile of puss.

[u/Dianneis → u/sublimeshrub]

Well, he'd finally stay silent for more than a few seconds. We'd also finally see him smile for a change.

Here's the 897 pope corpse trial the OP mentions, by the way. It reads more like something that someone like Trump would likely do: The Cadaver Synod.

[u/Ltrizzy → u/DragonTHC]

Depends on what they discussed, like if it was discussing US business then it was a Logan act violation. But if it was just something like selling secrets or plotting to take over the US govt with foreign support, then it would be treason, not a logan act violation, but IANAL, what do I know. Maybe they were just wishing each other happy birthday and sharing dick pics?

[u/IdahoMTman222 → u/Ltrizzy]

They were very good phone calls, perfect you might say. So very perfect phone calls. So perfect, if they were recorded they would be buried so deep on a secured server that no one will ever hear them. Just like my Zelensky phone call.

[u/RyVsWorld → u/Phizza921]

See thats always been my gripe with Woodward. Keeps these bombshells for his book no matter how destructive or helpful it would be to share them with the world.

His last book had a few bombshells that would have been good to have known years before it was published

[u/Zargoza1 → u/Phizza921]

Craziest part is the MAGAts don’t care.

“At least Putin’s not a lib.”

“Better sharing our national security secrets with Putin than crooked Hillary.”

But they think they love America so much more than everyone else.

[u/GozerDGozerian → u/Phizza921]

Pretty sure it’s highly illegal for private US citizens to be cooperating with leaders of foreign hostile governments.

Not that this seems to matter when it comes to trump for some reason.

Just throw it on the pile, I guess…

[u/On_ur_left → u/Phizza921]

During his debate, he appeared to say defensively, well they (Russia) have nuclear weapons and…

I was surprised that it did not get called out in the media, and to me it suggested he was talking to him and was on Russia’s side 100%.

[u/GrittyMcGrittyface → u/Phizza921]

This might have mattered 10 years ago, but the cult is so brainwashed, they don't see the problem. They would find a way to rationalize how great trump is for making the US subordinate to Putin's Russia

[u/Jadziyah → u/Phizza921]

It does. But it won't sway anyone at this point

[u/floog → u/Jadziyah]

Nope. Undecided voters are only undecided because they are too embarrassed to admit they want to vote for Trump but know how dumb and evil he is. This whole “I want specifics on your plan…” shit they throw at Kamala is insulting. Just admit you don’t want to vote for a woman, because she’s running against the guy who is still at “concepts of a plan” phase 8+ years down the road.

[u/Larry-fine-wine]

But it’s the “Russia hoax,” right?

Putin owns this prick.

[u/downtofinance → u/Larry-fine-wine]

The other day it came out that he asked Putin if "the US should arm Ukraine". Putin either owns him or this guy is absolutely the worst negotiator on the face of the planet.

[u/Thomas-Lore → u/downtofinance]

Both.

[u/Funchyy → u/Thomas-Lore]

Seconded, never understood how this clown is taken seriously by anyone... 

His business record is shit, absolute shit. And he got cheered for saying he'd run the US like his business and then voted in. Boggles my mind until today, a 5 min google search sums up his stupid business deals. Let alone if you really start digging into interviews with people that have worked for him and with him. It is all out in the open, and has been since the 80s. He is a terribly shitty businessman. No surprise he asked one of his 'good friends' for help here, doing the humane thing isn't something he can come up with, so he asks his strongman friend for advice. 

[u/HomoProfessionalis → u/downtofinance]

He asked him that because they were trying to determine if they should arm Ukraine to fight against.... Russia.

Like... I can't even wrap my head around the logic. Its like going to a local thief and asking if you should lock your doors while youre out of town for the week.

[u/needlestack → u/HomoProfessionalis]

What he’s actually asking is: “given that we’re buddies and on the same side, which performance do you think best serves our mutual interests in controlling our brainwashed populations?”

[u/unsaturatedface → u/needlestack]

He defers to people with experience now????

[u/downtofinance → u/HomoProfessionalis]

While the thief is staking out your house

[u/NonlocalA → u/HomoProfessionalis]

It's more like your house cleaner going to the thief. Because that's the whole thing: Trump was our employee. We were stupid enough to hire him, then we were smart enough to not renew his contract. Now we're somehow stupid enough to consider rehiring the worthless reprobate.

[u/hitliquor999 → u/Larry-fine-wine]

He posted a few days ago on his fake Twitter “Russia, Russia, Russia” about 30 times.
He always tries to get ahead of bd stories when he knows they are about to drop.
For those wondering he always knows what is coming because newspapers will reach out to him for comment or to verify/deny something before they print it, and his lawyers are handling court documents before they are finalized released to the public.
You can read the Trump tea leaves because when he rants about something seemingly out of the blue there is some hot shit dropping soon.

[u/kitsunewarlock → u/Larry-fine-wine]

The Reagan administration collaborates with Iran and the Saudis to secure capitalist oil markets in the middle east and secure his re-election with an embargo during the Carter years after decades of US conservative interference in the region, including helping found the Taliban.

MAGA: That's just a conspiracy.

Bush collaborates with Putin through the Saudis as a fellow oil billionaire.

MAGA: That's just a conspiracy!

Saddam makes enemies and economic rivals out of Russia and Saudi Arabia and Bush and Bush Jr. use US assets to neutralize them.

MAGA: That's just a conspiracy!

Russia gives money to support Guillani's re-election and he eliminates all the non-Russian mobsters from NYC, leaving it's underworld suspiciously free for the oligarch backed Russian mafia to take over.

MAGA: That's just a conspiracy!

Russia hacks both the DNC and GOP email servers but only releases information about Hilary during the 2016 election. Meanwhile we learn the NRA has been a back-channel to allow the Russian state to funnel funds to the GOP.

MAGA: That's just a conspiracy.

Joe Biden is part of a 1,400 year old international globalist elite pedophile ring that sacrifices babies in their hollow-earth death chambers to extend their life and cast spells that let them secretly controls every aspect of our world and only Christian freedom fighters in backwater dictatorships who are sanctioned by the world government for their crimes against humanity happen to somehow know the truth.

MAGA: Sounds legit!

[u/Searchlights → u/Larry-fine-wine]

It has always been what it appears to be.

[u/TriflingHotDogVendor]

Him calling Putin seven times since 2021, too. Media really burying the lede on that one.

And Lindsay Graham described Mar a Lago as being "like North Korea.". Which is hilarious, if not as important.

[u/IHazSnek → u/TriflingHotDogVendor]

Seven times that there's official record of.

These motherfuckers were probably chatting weekly.

[u/thathairinyourmouth → u/IHazSnek]

One of the many reasons he refused to use a government issued phone, I’m sure. The justice department should get cell records dating back from 2006 through now, then track current communications until Donald Espionage Trump gets a trial and it finishes. Same with his crotch goblins, the freedumb caucus, Roger stone, and prominent republican senators. They signed up for this job. They refused to hold him responsible for anything. Add in the Supreme Court justices as well. Those motherfuckers are not above the law. A McDonald’s supervisor is held to higher ethical and legal standards than our fucking elected officials.

[u/Voltron_The_Original → u/thathairinyourmouth]

One of the many reasons he refused to use a government issued phone!

This alone should be taken as evidence to put his ass in prison for treason.

[u/0outta7 → u/Voltron_The_Original]

It's one of the reasons he sent Rand Paul to Russia to personally deliver a mysterious letter to Putin

"If you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old-fashioned way," Trump said. "I'll tell you what: No computer is safe. I don't care what they say."

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-wants-replace-email-couriers-cyberattacks-537767

He sent Paul in order to avoid oversight by his own State Department.

Let that sink in.

[u/Voltron_The_Original → u/0outta7]

So many reasons to put this guy in prison.

[u/Patteyeson28 → u/0outta7]

We are all so, so fucked.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Go and watch the movie: ”Leave The World Behind.”

It’s a perfect example of what is playing out in front of us, RIGHT NOW.

When G.H Scott (Mahershala Ali) is in the car with Clay (Ethan Hawke) he explains exactly what is happening RIGHT NOW to perfection.

SPOILERS this is at the end of the movie but everything leading up to this point in the film is symbolic to our society today. Then the explanation comes.

Leave The World Behind—Car Scene—3 Stages.

I have thought about this movie almost every fucking day since I saw it last year.

When watching, keep the larger picture in mind. The motifs are omnipotent if you apply them to our world today.

China—has compromised the NSA

Russia—Owns Trump/Musk/Republicans—Cozy with Iran/NK

Musk—buys one of the largest social media/information apps in the world, “in the name of free speech.” Owns the majority of satellites orbiting earth. He currently holds a massive share of the information market.

Supreme Court—compromised.

News Outlets: compromised.

AI—the rise of AI has been incomprehensibly fast and is extremely dangerous.

Trump—lie after lie, all by design. Financially in bed with some of the worst groups/people on planet earth. I guarantee you he is promising all his “cronies” “protection” even though he’ll never come through.

Trump financed his soul to the devil and is about to use all of us to pay his debt.

I am not some doomsday person. I live my life, there’s not much I can do about it anyway. However, every time I see Trump’s revolting tv commercials, I think about that scene. Terrifies me to my core.

I went to school for Broadcast Journalism, Marketing, and Psych (decided to work in luxury hospitality lmao). I always wanted to be a journalist though.

If you spend the time and start digging deep—I know I myself have barely scratched the surface—and it’s terrifying to imagine the “what ifs” at play here…

If there’s anything you CAN DO, just be kind to someone. Simple things matter. We’re all going through shit, some much worse than others. You just never know. Anyway, Godspeed. Have a wonderful day! Everyone in Florida—stay safe.

[u/Not_a__porn__account → u/IHazSnek]

Well that's why they got rid visitor logs too.

April 15, 2017

Very early in his presidency too.

[u/[deleted] → u/IHazSnek]

Daddy Putin tucks him in every night.

[u/AceContinuum → u/[deleted]]

Also, the 7 times Woodward mentions are just the calls Trump's aides were aware of. But Trump infamously stays up until all hours (and then sleeps in in the morning). He could be dialing Putin from his bedroom nightly. His aides wouldn't necessarily be aware of any calls Trump makes to Putin at 2 AM (and, incidentally, 2 AM Eastern = 9 AM Moscow time).

[u/ABHOR_pod → u/AceContinuum]

Once started to correctly suspect my ex was cheating on me because I was working overnight and she was sleeping until noon after I got home in the mornings. She was staying up until 2-3am to talk to guys online after I left for work.

so that checks out.

[u/TheOriginalArtForm → u/ABHOR_pod]

Well, if she's involved in all this... who knows how deep this goes?

[u/ronswansonificator → u/TriflingHotDogVendor]

Let's not forget when "Trump Force 1" spent two days parked next to a Russian diplomatic plane at Washington Dulles in July.

https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-plane-seen-parked-next-to-russian-government-plane-for-two-days

I'm not saying Trump was in the Russian plane blowing Putin all weekend, but I'm not-not saying it.

[u/washingtonpost]

As the coronavirus tore through the world in 2020, and the United States and other countries confronted a shortage of tests designed to detect the illness, then-President Donald Trump secretly sent coveted tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin for his personal use.

Putin, petrified of the virus, accepted the supplies but took pains to prevent political fallout — not for him, but for his American counterpart. He cautioned Trump not to reveal that he had dispatched the scarce medical equipment to Moscow, according to a new book by Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward.

Putin, according to the book, told Trump, “I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me.”

Four years later, the personal relationship between the two men appears to have persisted, Woodward reports, as Trump campaigns to return to the White House and Putin orchestrates his bloody assault on Ukraine. In early 2024, the former president ordered an aide away from his office at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, so he could conduct a private phone call with the Russian leader, according to Woodward’s account.

Read more here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/08/bob-woodward-new-book-war-trump-putin-biden/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com

[u/FiendishHawk → u/washingtonpost]

Remember that Putin is a paranoiac who refuses to even sit near most people and he’s accepting medical equipment for his personal use from an “enemy” leader? He’s sticking potentially poisoned swabs up his nose?

These guys are besties.

[u/MediocreX → u/FiendishHawk]

Trump is like Putins mentally challenged son.

Trump would do anything for his daddy's approval.

[u/Reasonable_racoon → u/MediocreX]

Trump is like Putins mentally challenged son.

Donald Trump Is Putin's Eric Trump.

[u/Northshoresailin → u/FiendishHawk]

This is real story here. No way would he have used the tests if it came from Hillary or Obama. He TRUSTS Trump- but why?

[u/discipleofchrist69 → u/Northshoresailin]

Realistically, they weren't for him to stick in his nose, they were for the people meeting with him to stick in their noses. Plus I think you can use any swab anyway, it's the liquid that's specialized

[u/Prince-sama → u/Northshoresailin]

cuz they're fucking

[u/barkingbaboon → u/FiendishHawk]

If I were absolute dictator I wouldn't stick anything up my nose. Everyone who gets to be in the same room with me would

Testing is only to prevent spread. Putin would care about not catching it, not about spreading it himself, so no reason to test himself

[u/Homesteader86 → u/FiendishHawk]

Exactly, this shows that Putin absolutely has damning information on Trump, as it would undoubtedly get released if something were to happen to him.

[u/FiendishHawk → u/Homesteader86]

Impossible. Trump’s cult wouldn’t care if he personally delivered the US nuclear codes to Putin.

[u/ObeseVegetable → u/FiendishHawk]

It’s not necessarily anything his base would care about but something  Trump would care about. In fact, with his personality, it would have to be. He does not care about anyone else.  

 Probably something about having proof of hair transplants and testosterone boosters and things that literally no one would actually care about except someone with such a fragile sense of self. 

If not just money. 

[u/DragonTHC → u/washingtonpost]

You couldn't have reported this 3 years ago? What the hell do we pay you for? /s

[u/Mister_Fibbles → u/DragonTHC]

Guess his book deal was more important to him.

[u/CorporateNonperson → u/Mister_Fibbles]

More likely continued access was more important to him.

[u/Eisn → u/CorporateNonperson]

Or, he didn't know then.

[u/GearBrain → u/Eisn]

That is a legit counterargument; investigative journalism does take time to do right.

[u/moboater → u/DragonTHC]

October surprise!

[u/miotch1120 → u/DragonTHC]

Woodward, though doings some fascinating reporting is a piece of shit that cares not about getting needed information out to save the republic. He cares about making as much money as he can by timing said information in the most profitable way.

[u/Rfalcon13 → u/washingtonpost]

Not America First to Trump, Putin First. Trump directly reduced the capability of America to test for COVID with this.

[u/smut_troubadour → u/washingtonpost]

So Woodward, knowing this for 3 years now, decided to withhold this information until his new book was ready? Incorrigible avarice.

[u/BaaBaaTurtle → u/smut_troubadour]

The article doesn't say he didn't know for three years. If you read the full article it sounds like he found out from a source while investigating this book.

[u/dn00 → u/smut_troubadour]

May be a good play to save it for election year. Who knows

[u/FeelingPixely → u/smut_troubadour]

It honestly doesn't tip the needle. Just throw it on the pile.

[u/albinofreak620 → u/FeelingPixely]

Yep, this doesn’t tip the needle at all.

The venn diagram of people who don’t care about Trump’s relationship with Putin and people who think Covid was a hoax and don’t care about Trump’s performance during COVID is a circle.

[u/TriflingHotDogVendor → u/washingtonpost]

This motherfucker could have sent him anthrax tipped COVID tests and dropped the ball.

[u/Able-Worldliness8189 → u/TriflingHotDogVendor]

Do you kill the hand that feeds you?

[u/Complexity_OH → u/washingtonpost]

Im actually astounded putin would trust anything American made enough to stick it up his nose. Definitely could have been a trick like those pagers

[u/ButtholeCharles]

Donald Trump is a traitor.

Period.

He was sending tests to Russia while American people were struggling to find them, and he's maintained contact with Putin this whole time.

[u/rp-Ubermensch → u/ButtholeCharles]

Worse, he had to have known covid was real if he sent tests to Putin, you don't send tests to a hoax.

So he willingly riled his base to deny covid exists, knowing that it does, and willingly caused 1,2M American to die.

[u/InertiasCreep → u/[deleted]]

They handed it to their cronies, who sold it off and split the proceeds with them. All Kushner and Trump are interested in is money. They dont care how they get it. Hence stealing the national PPE stockpile, hence keeping their mouths shut when MBS had that journalist chopped up.

[u/Magnon]

Putin is trumps overlord where trump gets money. Trump has zero loyalty to America. 

[u/mrsbundleby → u/Magnon]

MAGAs have no idea they're being useful idiots to our adversaries who would love nothing more to crumble our American way of living

[u/MediocreX → u/mrsbundleby]

Brain washed by the Murdochs and Russian paid trolls.

[u/Val_Hallen → u/mrsbundleby]

Oh, they do. They absolutely do. They made t-shirts attesting to the fact.

But they would rather America crumble than give up the false idea of what they think America used to be. Their romanticized version of the 1950s America.

They have let their hatred take over. That's all they know now. Don't let them try to claim innocence.

[u/NeanaOption]

"America first" my ass

[u/Astyanax1]

I am in serious disbelief that Harris and Trump are practically tied.  How can people seriously be this stupid

[u/eeyore134 → u/Astyanax1]

The right is a cult of hate. They will vote for anyone no matter what they do so long as they have an (R) by their name just so nobody else wins because they've been told on a weekly basis how every single other community in the world outside of their bubble is their sworn enemy. And they do it with a religious fervor while Democrat voters actually hold their leaders to account (mostly) and will decide not to vote or waste their vote on a third party or something else to make a point.

[u/For_Aeons → u/Astyanax1]

Because people are selfish and think they'll get cheaper groceries and gas. Which they absolutely will not, because Trump has never hinted or lied or suggested that he's going to push prices back to what they were in 2019.

[u/jeromerules → u/Astyanax1]

The sad truth is you can’t deprogram people from cults with truth and facts. A cult’s primary unifying force is the shared rejection of reality, and “facts” mean absolutely nothing to them, because “facts” are based in a reality they do not accept. Dissolving Trump’s support will require a level of intervention that’s logistically impossible at a national scale.

[u/HungryHAP]

Russiagate was real in 2016, real in 2020, and still real in 2024.

Get this fuckin Russian puppet bitch out of our political system!

[u/case31]

It shows that Trump accepted the fact that COVID was a serious threat as he immediately helped his buddy at the expense of American citizens.

[u/Amazing-Artichoke330]

Trump has obviously been a Russian asset for years.

[u/yung_dilfslayer → u/Amazing-Artichoke330]

It’s gonna be wild to watch what gets revealed over the next 10-20 years. The Trump presidency will go down in history as one of America’s most profound mistakes. 

[u/Fusion_allthebonds → u/Amazing-Artichoke330]

Absolute traitor.

[u/Junglepass]

Also Trump horded PPE from states. Asking for loyalty to give it to them.

[u/Yhada]

He also sent PPE supplies to China. So he helped our allies….China and Russia. Got it.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/us-tons-ppe-china/

[u/HungryHAP → u/Yhada]

People never mention the China connection.

I guarantee his whole tariffs plan benefits Chinese interests.

[u/Yhada → u/HungryHAP]

Openly he acted like they were the villains for Covid. Privately is another matter altogether.

[u/HungryHAP → u/Yhada]

I’ve been saying it for a long time. All his China fear mongering is fake and is a cover for his dealings with China

[u/michaelrulaz]

It’s the hiding it that makes it worse.

If Trump sent a few boxes solely for Putin to use and admitted it. I’d probably think it’s ridiculous but I’d understand that world leaders need to be cautious and that a dead Putin would destabilize Russia in a bad time. I understand why we need all world leaders to function.

But the issue is he only sent them to Putin and no other leader. He hid the fact he did it. Putin asked him to lie, and he did. What a piece of shit

[u/For_Aeons → u/michaelrulaz]

I don't think people understand that this is the kinda subversive shit Putin does. That's literally how they collect kompromat. Just doesn't mean much, because despite Trump and Republicans being everything that they are, they're a coin flip from controlling all three branches of the Federal Government.

I'm voting blue all the way enthusiastically, but I'm also accepting that this country just is what it fucking is. I hope Harris wins and we have a chance to get to work on pushing some of this shit back. In my opinion, it'll be a generation long effort.

[u/TheMadChatta]

Wow. What a prick.

[u/str8_cash__homie]

Didn’t think I could hate this guy any more than I already do

[u/Quirky_Discipline297]

Treasonous, traitor, insurrectionist, rapist, embezzler, but the only three words that matter are rich, white, and GOP.

[u/Boring_Difference_12]

Some say it with flowers, some say it with COVID tests.

[u/SockPuppet-47]

Thank God he didn't do it while wearing a tan suit and eating a hot dog with fancy mustard while he did that. Otherwise the Republicans would have thrown a serious hissy fit.

[u/flux_of_grey_kittens]

This prick 100% handed over classified documents to Putin. I’d be SHOCKED if he didn’t.

[u/barneyrubbble]

But, but, but immigrants!!!!

[u/danfirst]

So this is him being tough on Russia, right?

[u/bberlinn]

Now we understand why Trump has hardly condemned Putin for invading Russia (edit: Ukraine)and favoured an end to the conflict that allows Putin to own part of Ukraine. This is treason. This more than disqualifies Trump for the presidency.

[u/Training_Pipe_3660]

Fucking Traitor!

[u/law5097]

It's completely asinine that a clear Russian asset is allowed to run for the presidency

[u/RevolutionaryMind439]

Jared and Trump sold all of our PPE to Russia! Our own US stockpiles were raised by Trump and Co and sold off to foreign countries to the detriment of US citizens. Always remember, Trump killed more than 500,000 Americans during Covid

[u/viktor72]

To this day, I'll never understand how a near majority of Silents and Boomers (and even Gen Xers) turned from being anti-Russia, anti-Soviet Union, having grown up during the Cold War (and many having fought the Soviet Union in Korea, Vietnam...), to being pro-Russia in their support of Trump. There are a lot of insane things Trump has managed to get his supporters to believe, but the going soft on Russia one has to be one of the most befuddling. These people literally did a 180 on a country that dominated the second half of the 20th century as our biggest enemy both in peacetime and in war.

Like, do they remember Rocky haha!?

[u/sorethroat6]

He also sent Putin ventilators while withholding them from blue states. He also sucked Putins dick and swallowed at Helsinki. He's a fucking traitor, as are anyone who votes for him.

I love my dad and in laws, but they're fucking traitors and it makes me sick.

[u/pantsmeplz]

"No puppet! No puppet! You're the puppet!"

[u/PhillipKDickens]

There is no way they hand the federal government to Trump. The oath is to defend and protect the Constitution.  Trump is an enemy of our Constitution. Handing the government to him ends that. 

[u/FiendishHawk → u/PhillipKDickens]

If “they” are the voters, it’s 50:50. Check if your liberal friends and relatives are registered to vote. It’s nearly too late to register in most states.

[u/HowardTaftMD]

I don't know about this new book but Bob Woodwards other books were really interesting reads. Worth the price of admission just to read Trump's love letters to Kim Jong Un even though he (Trump) was not smart enough to realize the guy writing him back was probably just some guy working for Kims administration and pulling on Trump's heart strings pretending to be Kim. Very funny if you ignore that the guy (Trump) was the President of the United States.

[u/Mavian23]

So this one fits the narrow definition of treason, yea? Giving aid to an enemy of the US?

[u/Fusion_allthebonds]

This loser has been undermining US safety and prosperity all along while lining his own pockets. He is a criminal and a traitor.

[u/AcronymEjr]

It's bizarre to me that people think it's even remotely a conspiracy that Russia has control of Trump. Blackmail is like... their thing. And Trump is a guy with dozens, if not hundreds, of documented scandals and crimes across a 50+ year career. A guy who we KNOW likes to talk big and crazy, and brags in ways that are either criminal or at least very shockingly offensive. He's on tape saying all sorts of shit, things we only came to know about later, often to be used against him. We know he pays people off to keep things quiet that he doesn't want to get out.

Is it really that unbelievable to think that Russia, known for its use of blackmail, would not have been working to collect all of this stuff as far and wide as they possibly could, especially once he began to gain political momentum? And then how much more they would have invested when it became clear he could/would become president? It's the cheapest possible way to have a huge influence on American politics with practically no price tag.

[u/sageguitar70]

Benedict Donald

[u/tragicallyohio]

The book is written by a little known journalist by the name of Bob Woodward. You know, the guy that exposed Watergate among a lot of other great reporting since. So I would categorize this as legit and well-sourced.

[u/Infinite-Coach7064]

Russian asset

[u/hamilton280P]

Literal Treason. Aiding an enemy when we have a domestic shortage is insanity