Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Woodward and the Trump/Putin relationship

By Vinton Today · October 9, 2024, 11:48 am

To The Editor,

Below is an excerpt from Newsweek with news that has just broke from esteemed author Bob Woodward. Before readers tear into Woodward remember he has written books on both Democrats and Republicans. The most notable is “All the President’s Men” which he co-wrote with Carl Berstein exposing the President Nixon’s involvement with Watergate. He has written about President’s Clinton, Obama, and George W Bush as well as many other political leaders.

The most interesting details from the Newsweek article is 1) as a private citizen, Trump has contacted Putin at least 7 times since leaving office which should make people stop and ask why. I am sure they were not sharing family pictures. 2) when Americans were searching for covid tests in the beginning of the pandemic, President Trump sent Putin test kits for his personal use outside of any government approval.

There has been a concern of the unusual relationship between Trump and Putin for many years. Could it be possible that Trump is in the pocket of Putin?

As usual, those supporting Trump will insist all of this is lies and will make personal attacks on myself or anyone else bringing this to light. How can all of the mountains of evidence of Trump’s improprieties and illegalities be all made up? Please use your common sense.

One more thing, this is not about VP Harris. If you chose to respond to this, keep it to the topic, Trump.

Newsweek

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-and-putin-secretly-stayed-in-contact-according-to-bob-woodward-s-latest-book/ar-AA1rUhsR?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Trump and Putin Secretly Stayed in Contact, According to Bob Woodward's Latest Book

Story by Gabe Whisnant Journalist Bob Woodward's new book says Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly continued to interact after the former president left office.

The book, called War, alleges Trump and Putin have had as many as seven phone calls since early 2021 and that Trump asked one aide to leave the room so they could speak.

Trump's 7 Phone Calls Made to Putin

Woodward's new book alleges that the Republican presidential nominee and Putin have had as many as seven phone calls since early 2021, when the Republican left the White House.

In one section, Woodward described an alleged incident at Mar-a-Lago when he said Trump instructed a senior aide to leave the room so he could have what he termed a private phone call with Putin.

Woodward said he reportedly questioned Trump aide Jason Miller about whether Trump and Putin had spoken since Trump's departure from the White House. "Um, ah, not that, ah, not that I'm aware of," Miller responded, Woodward wrote. "I have not heard that they're talking, so I'd push back on that," Miller added, the book said.

Sending COVID Tests to Russia

Among the other allegations in the book is that a secret shipment from Trump was sent to Putin during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

During the height of the pandemic, Russia and the U.S. exchanged medical equipment, including ventilators. However, Putin, who notoriously isolated himself due to fears of COVID, instructed Trump in a phone call to keep the delivery of the Abbott machines discreet, Woodward reported. …

According to the book, Trump "sent Putin a bunch of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines for his personal use" and Russia's president asked his U.S. counterpart to keep the shipment quiet.

"Please don't tell anybody you sent these to me," Putin allegedly said to Trump, who replied: "I don't care. Fine."

Rosemary Schwartz

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GB October 17, 2024, 8:40 pm It's called HUA syndrome. I also noticed how fast they go silent as soon as they realize they are outnumbered and that most Americans are sick of open borders and social experiments mixed with their confusion about gender identification.

DC October 17, 2024, 6:13 pm Yikes, the last post just reminded me of something. Has anyone else noticed that when candidates from the left get below the Mason Dixon Line they suddenly get a speech impediment that allows them to speak like a local. Obama, Hillary, and Harris come to mind. Might not be an impediment at all, just pandering or just plain phoney.

ME October 11, 2024, 6:39 am Boris Johnson. The man that resigned in disgrace. Hey! Maybe y'all can get Charlie Manson to cough up a character reference, too.

DC October 10, 2024, 4:51 pm SG....I just read the article. Awesome.....Johnson basically said Woodward has TDS and hates Trump. Whodathunk. Wondering what people in their glass houses are thinking now....maybe more CNN..... Dave Coots

SG October 10, 2024, 3:16 pm Did anyone watch the CNN interview with Boris Johnson concerning Putin and Trump? Very interesting! https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/08/world/video/the-lead-boris-johnson-memoir-reviews-united-kingdom-political-rivals-trump-jake-tapper

ME October 10, 2024, 4:56 am DC. "couldn't be charged for documents in garage" Leaving aside the difference between a couple dozen unsecured documents & at least a dozen boxes of clarified documents, the "every vice president and president of the last 200 years" argument, all that... He "couldn't be charged" because they couldn't bring a case in front of a jury - he could play the kindly, forgetful, doddering old man card and the jury would love him. You know what jury wouldn't love him, though? The House committee that's been investigating since Day 1 for grounds to impeach him on. And didn't find jack squat. Even with the results of the Special Counsel investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents. The committee of the House that could, with grounds, impeach him. And yet, they didn't. Hmmm. Curious. All the rest of your blather? Personal garbage I don't care about. Country first. Or doesn't that matter to the MAGA Cult?

SG October 9, 2024, 8:40 pm And then there's Emhoff who HIT a woman...I mean...

DC October 9, 2024, 6:57 pm Orange Man bad, several wives, paid off stripper, ect..... Did you hear the one about some gal that "worked" under a married Willie Brown for 11 years and claims to be black? She has a husband that paid off the Nanny in his former marriage because he thought it was the right thing to do after he got her pregnant? Then there's the guy that married his babysitter.....really. Then he couldn't be charged concerning classified documents unsecured in his garage because he was too frail for prosecution but was doing an exceptional job as President.... Wow, just wow....classic double standards....

GB October 9, 2024, 4:54 pm RS, Get some real news based on facts. You Dems have run this whole lie of Russian collusion into the ground!! I believe you are also obsessed with Trump! You have to be! Does he really live inside your head rent free also? Did he turn you down at prom in High School or something? My God, get some help!

DL October 9, 2024, 1:51 pm DC, you are the pathetic human being. Governing the largest economy in the world, is not a business endeavor. In a business, decisions are made by a few people, (or one) at the top. Their only concern is the profitability of the business. The self-government of 330 million people, is done with the betterment of those people in mind. When your cult leader was occupying our White House, he totally screwed up the pandemic, by first telling you that only 4 or 5 people will get the virus, when over one-million Americans ended up dying. He also added $8.5 Trillion to our debt, in his 4 years. That, along with his tariff debacle and non-policy on COVID, that caused the supply chain fiasco, was the reasons for the inflation crisis. Obama added $8 Trillion to the debt, in his 8 years. Can you imagine another Trump term with another $8.5 Trillion added? It's the tax cuts that caused the first term overspending. More tax cuts to the mega-rich, will make it even worse.

RL October 9, 2024, 1:28 pm This is a complete nothing. Wow the leader of the free world sent COVID tests and medical supplies to another country with who he felt it important to establish a good rapport. Sounds like a smart move. Interesting how Putin did not invade Ukraine while Trump was the President. Perhaps that combination of fear and respect of him kept Putin in check. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer I believe is the statement.

RS October 9, 2024, 1:10 pm I am not going to answer every idiotic comment excepT these Dave Coots-- Trump got his money from his father-not because he earned any of it and had 6 bankrupties. Not a good record of business success. Where are Trump Steaks, Trump Water, Trump casinos, Trump airline, Trump University--and otheres, all failures. I always laugh when people try to tell me what programs I watch. Morning Joe is too early for me, I have not or do not watch the View and not a regular viewer of CNN. Why should anyone care about Trump talking with Putin? It is illegal that is why. 18 U.S. Code § 953 - Private correspondence with foreign governments—The Logan Act---Sedition Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. Also why is it ok for Trump to give Putin, our political enemy, Covid test machines while Americans were dying of Covid? Can't believe what Trump supporters will accept from him. I would think it might even be treason but its Trump its ok! Rosemary Schwartz

DC October 9, 2024, 9:56 am WOW, WHAT A BOMBSHELL, BETTER GET JACK SMITH ON IT. Many people do not come from a business owners prospective when in Government as Trump has. Or even many who write here either. No clue. You know, when you actually run a business with YOUR OWN MONEY. With that comes the understanding of making relationships with people you don't really trust or like, but that's business. Then, when something comes up and you have a problem or need something from that other person you have that relationship with, they know whom they are dealing with. A background you might say. Trump was not afraid to negotiate with the leaders of other countries. Putin, Kim Jung Un, and others when he was in office. He also was not afraid to keep Iran in their place through strength. These leaders of other countries knew when they negotiated with Trump that his word was good, and that he would follow through on what he said, good or bad. How many wars did we enter when Trump was in office and America was a Strong Nation? ZERO IS THE ANSWER for you folks that get your news from Morning Joe, the View, and CNN. The USA has become a weakling under this administration with the two career politicians who have lived off the taxpayers their whole life and never created anything. They have no clue about business, only about spending others money. They are more interested in DEI hiring that putting qualified people in the jobs. This is the most pathetic administration I have ever seen in my life. Much worse than when Obama was in office. Later Dave Coots

ME October 9, 2024, 5:38 am The Orange One didn't steal boxes of classified documents for nothing. Both him and his idiot sons about they get a lot of funding from Russia, and that ain't the kind of debt that gets washed away by bankruptcy. That alone should have been enough to keep him from even being nominated. He doesn't love this country; he loves himself.

GB October 8, 2024, 10:53 pm Bla, Bla, Bla again.. It's the same thing over and over.. The whole Russian collusion thing was proven to be garbage made up by Hillary and the Democrats have told every lie to keep it going. The real collusion was between the Biden Crime Family and every adversarial country to the United States who would toss them a few hundred thousand dollars. Wonder what they got for their money??

SG October 8, 2024, 7:07 pm Why Trump? One murder - Corey Comperatore, two more seriously injured, blinded Trump rally attendees in Arizona, changing laws in New York, suspending the statute of limitations so Trump could be sued, then changing the law back, two assassination attempts...I Don't care. If you hate Trump. The insanity of the left is why Trump has so much support. Who cares if Trump sent some COVID testing kits to Putin? He also sent a ship to New York which Cuomo ignored killing people there. Trump tried to help everyone, in the world it would appear, believing that we were all going to die. Let's talk Trump. -He brought in Elon to provide Starlink to those devastated by the hurricanes. --His daughter Ivanka flew them in. -He's partnering with RFK Jr. to work on the health in the country. -Tulsi Gabbard, former Democrate Congresswoman, an Army vet has joined Trump. Something is happening. You can either be part of the solution or more of the problem.