Donald Trump's Intel Chief Suspected Putin's 'Blackmail': Bob Woodward

Thanks 'MF':

Burning Bright

1d

Burning Bright

Yesterday, world leaders lined up to pay fealty ... err, "congratulate" Donald Trump on his reelection bid, including the Proxy Prince of Ukraine and the Collectivist Queen in Brussels.

Vladimir Putin waited until today, after his closest advisors and spokesman reiterated that US-Russia relations are at their "lowest point" in modern history, and so, could only improve.

China responded with veiled indifference.

These leaders, unlike their NATO and EU counterparts, are operating from a position of strength, which is why they don't need to prostrate themselves at the feet of the Orange Man to keep suckling off the teet of the US taxpayer.

If you pay attention to the war beneath the war, you also understand that they're operating from a position of shared informational (and NARRATIVE) dominance, in that they know exactly who Trump is, and share his natural enemies, just as they have the whole time.

The machine doesn't fear Trump, Putin OR Xi ...

They fear Trump, Putin AND Xi.

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8 Nov

Bill

1d

For 8 long years Trump and his supporters have been demonized, vilified, and called every name in the book. I understand he’s rough around the edges but he is not Hitler, Mussolini, or Satan. His debate style from day one was very confrontational, especially with the 17 Republicans running in the primaries in 2016. First he dispatched Jeb Bush by saying the Iraq war was a waste of life and a war on another country for false reasons. No one had ever said this out loud and Jeb dropped out. One Bu…

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Just Human

2d

So it turns out that the most optimistic scenario—the most glorious scenario—the one where Trump is reelected by a vote margin that both secures his victory, rights the past (sweeping the Swing States), crowns him champion, and gives him the mandate to finish the work he began in 2017—was manifested. 

Plus, the Senate. Likely the House, too. 

A generational win that will alter the course of our country for the better.

Both back in line with the intentions of the Founder's in setting up this experimental country and upward as well, aimed at more meaningful achievements for mankind. 

And a win achieved by gains in every demographic, across the country. There's not just one explanation for the healthy margin. Trump gained support from all Americans. Truly historic. (Put this man on Mt. Rushmore!)

Thankfully, we also received the blessing of a concession from Harris, saving the country from the added stress and turmoil of another contested election. 

There were no major or even minor hostile events on Election Day. Praise God, and we should also give sincere thanks to those who keep us safe. 

So the entire country can both celebrate this Election Day, even the losers, when they are ready, and exhale in relief. 

Soak up this win and enjoy it, fam. 

I am dreaming of maybe two SCOTUS appointments, maybe hundred federal judges, a Digital Bill of Rights, and all the other wonderful things that a Trump White House + GOP-controlled House and Senate could achieve. 

We can all wax poetic for hours about all the good things we think are possible. 

The good that this next Trump administration can do for America and for the world is exponentially greater than what was achieved in the first term. 

Better people, more power, a bigger mandate. 

***

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Up next Putin Congratulated Donald Trump on Win Through 'Mutual Friends': Report

Newsweek:

Donald Trump's Intel Chief Suspected Putin's 'Blackmail': Bob Woodward

Published Oct 20, 2024 at 6:47 AM EDT

Trump Refuses To Answer Whether He Has Spoken To Putin Since Leaving Office

By Maya Mehrara
News Reporter




Journalist Bob Woodward said in an interview with podcaster Tim Miller on October 17 that Dan Coats, Donald Trump's former director of national intelligence, suspects Russian President Vladimir Putin is blackmailing the Republican nominee

On Miller's The Bulwark Podcast, Woodward discussed how he spoke with Coats while writing his latest book, War, about Trump's relationship with Putin during his presidency and after.

Discussing the pair's relationship, which Coats reportedly called an "enigma," Woodward said, "Coats who, for two and a half years was Trump's director of national intelligence, all the intelligence agencies, including the CIA, sees this. They don't have all of the information, but he sees it."

He continued, "This is so strange, it is so subservient on Trump's part. He actually asks when I discussed this with Coats several months ago, he said 'is this blackmail?' In other words, is Trump being blackmailed?"

Author and journalist Bob Woodward on May 21, 2019, in New York City. Woodward's latest book, "War," revealed that Donald Trump's former national intelligence director suspected the former president was being blackmailed by Putin. Evan Agostini/Associated Press

Newsweek reached out to Woodward for comment via email and Coats for comment via his email at his law firm King & Spalding outside of business hours on Sunday.

Newsweek also reached out to the Trump campaign for comment via email outside of business hours on Sunday.

Coats, who has previously issued warnings on Trump's behavior since leaving the former president's employ, was the director of national intelligence from 2017 to 2019, before being let go from the position after disagreeing with the then president on several issues.

Woodward raises this conversation with Coats in his recently published book, which also details behind-the-scenes accounts of how President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris dealt with the Ukraine-Russia war and the conflict in the Middle East, as well as Trump's "conducting a shadow presidency and seeking to regain political power," according to publisher Simon & Schuster.

Soon after his book was published, it made national headlines as it revealed new information regarding Trump's relationship with Putin and, in addition to suspicions of blackmail, alleged that the former president secretly sent Putin COVID-19 tests during the pandemic.

Woodward also wrote about Trump's alleged continued relationship with Putin post-presidency and said that he had spoken with the Russian leader at least seven times since he left office, on one occasion asking a Trump aide in Mar-a-Lago to leave his office so the two could have a private phone conversation.

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, confirmed Woodward's reports regarding the COVID-19 tests, while Trump called the claims false.

Peskov did, however, deny the alleged continued contact between the former U.S. president and the Russian leader and said, "We also sent [to the United States] equipment [to fight COVID] at the beginning of the pandemic. But as for phone calls, this is not true."

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In a previous statement to Newsweek regarding Woodward's claims, Trump's communications director Steven Cheung said, "None of these made-up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."

In his interview with Miller, Woodward also discussed Russia's nuclear threat, comparisons of Trump and Richard Nixon, Harris' warnings to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and more.