Russian President Vladimir Putin after which President Donald Trump shake palms earlier than a gathering in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. A brand new ebook by means of the journalist Bob Woodward studies that Trump secretly shared COVID-19 exams with Putin in 2020.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP by means of Getty Pictures
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Brendan Smialowski/AFP by means of Getty Pictures
Vice President Harris is criticizing Donald Trump following new reporting by means of the journalist Bob Woodward that the previous president secretly shared COVID-19 take a look at machines with Russia’s Vladimir Putin at a second in 2020 when exams have been out of achieve for many American citizens. The revelation, first reported by means of The Gentleman Report and The Washington Submit on Tuesday, is detailed in a imminent ebook referred to as Battle by means of the famed Watergate journalist, about Trump’s document at the world degree, in addition to President Biden’s. In keeping with the ebook, Trump despatched the name of the game cargo of trying out apparatus to the Russian chief on the top of the pandemic in 2020, even because the U.S. and different international locations have been dealing with crippling shortages of trying out kits.
“I don’t need you to inform anyone as a result of other folks gets mad at you, now not me. They do not care about me,” Putin informed Trump, consistent with the ebook. Trump replied, “I do not care. High quality,” consistent with Woodward. NPR has now not independently verified the account, which was once in response to interviews with unnamed assets.
Requested concerning the record all through an interview Tuesday with Howard Stern, Harris stated Woodward’s reporting was once an instance of why Trump can’t be depended on as commander-in-chief, as a result of she stated he’s simply manipulated by means of authoritarians he hopes to befriend. “He admires robust males, and he will get performed by means of them as a result of he thinks that they are his buddies, and they’re manipulating him complete time and manipulating him by means of flattery and with desire,” Harris stated. “Keep in mind, other folks have been loss of life by means of the loads, everyone was once scrambling to get those kits … and this man, who was once President of america, is sending them to Russia to a murderous dictator for his non-public use.” The Trump marketing campaign has pushed aside the ebook as “made up tales” written by means of a “deranged guy,” consistent with a observation by means of its communications director, Steven Cheung. “President Trump gave him completely no get admission to for this trash ebook that both belongs within the cut price bin of the fiction phase of a cut price book place or used as rest room tissue,” the observation learn.
Woodward’s reporting provides to the swirl of questions that experience surrounded Trump about his courting with Putin courting again to his 2016 marketing campaign for the White Area, when he publicly referred to as on Russia to seek out Hillary Clinton’s lacking emails. Trump has defended his stance towards Putin, keeping up that had he nonetheless been in place of business Russia do not have invaded Ukraine in 2022.
This is a courting that looks to have persevered even after Trump left the White Area, consistent with Woodward, who studies that the previous president could have spoken with Putin as many as seven instances since Biden took place of business. In a single episode reported by means of Woodward, Trump ordered an aide clear of his place of business at Mar-a-Lago so as to take a non-public name with Putin early in 2024. The ebook, which comes out Oct. 15, additionally main points pivotal moments within the Biden presidency, together with the management’s reaction to the battle in Ukraine and Biden’s fractious courting with Israeli Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Woodward recounts the president’s frustrations with Netanyahu amid the continuing battle in Gaza as he concluded that Netanyahu’s instincts for political survival outweighed his hobby in defeating Hamas. “That son of a b****, Bibi Netanyahu, he’s a nasty man. He’s a nasty f****** man!” Biden reportedly informed advisers, consistent with Woodward.
Requested concerning the anecdote, the White Area declined remark, however deputy press secretary Emilie Simons stated the united statesIsrael courting is “as robust as ever” and stated Biden and Netanyahu have a protracted and candid courting. “They are able to have very truthful and easy conversations with every different,” Simons stated.
