Donald Trump addressed the allegations that he purportedly maintained contact with Vladimir Putin after his presidency during his speech at an economic forum on Tuesday, October 15.
In his latest book, writer Bob Woodward reportedly asserted that "multiple phone calls between Trump and Putin, maybe as many as seven in the period since Trump left the White House in 2021," The New York Post reported. This revelation came to light earlier this month.
When he was asked if he could respond "yes" or "no" to the question of whether he had spoken to the Russian president after he resigned as president of the United States, Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Mickelthwait, the event presenter, brought up the subject once more.
"Well, I don’t comment on that," Trump responded. "But I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing. If I’m friendly with people — if I can have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing in terms of a country."
"He’s got 2,000 nuclear weapons and so do we," Trump, 78, went on. "China has a lot less, but they’ll catch us within five years. That sounds good. I have a relationship. I don’t talk about it. I don’t talk about. No, I don’t talk about that. I talk about— I don’t ever say you talk, but I can tell you what these people— Russia has never had a president that they respect so much. But more importantly or less importantly, I guess I went into Russia and people said, he likes Putin and Putin likes him."
As OK! Magazine previously reported that Woodward also claimed that Trump sent Putin "Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines for his personal use" during the pandemic. The Kremlin subsequently affirmed that these claims were accurate.
Trump was allegedly secretly harboring a "desire to be a dictator," according to Vice President Kamala Harris, who addressed the accusations during a recent interview with Howard Stern.
"He admires strongmen and he gets played by them because he thinks that they’re his friends and they are manipulating him full time and manipulating him by flattery and with favor," according to her. "This guy who is president of the United States is sending them to Russia?"
"Look, I grew up in the neighborhood, some would say you’re getting punked if you stand in favor of somebody who is an adversary over your friends on principles that we all agree on," she said back then.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has contributed over $75 million in the past three months to his pro-Donald Trump expenditure group, highlighting the billionaire's significant role in the Republican candidate's campaign for the US presidential election.
Submissions made by America Pac to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday indicated that Musk contributed $15 million in July, $30 million in August, and an additional $30 million in September. Musk is the sole contributor to the political action committee, The Guardian reported.
America Pac has discreetly emerged as the primary ground game collaborator for the Trump campaign, executing the majority of voter turnout efforts in the battleground states, as per sources knowledgeable about the situation.
United States Pac's contingent of over 400 canvassers each state significantly surpasses that of the Trump campaign and other organizations engaged in voter mobilization. It is the sole outfit aiming to conduct three "passes" of target voters before to the November election.
If Trump secures victory due to America Pac's field effort, it may enhance Musk's leverage over him. Trump has proposed the notion of appointing Musk to his cabinet in a potential second term.
A spokeswoman for Trump was not immediately available for comment.
FEC filings indicate that America Pac has expended around $30 million, constituting 40% of its funds, solely on its ground game operation for Trump. The remaining has been allocated to fieldwork for down-ballot candidates and to mail and internet advertisements for Trump.
Musk has been augmenting his personal engagement in Trump's campaign. On Wednesday, he declared his intention to fly to the crucial state of Pennsylvania for the last phase of the election cycle to deliver “a series of addresses.”
Musk's personal political beliefs seem to have shifted significantly to the right in this election, having previously identified publicly with the Democrats. He endorsed Trump in July and participated at Trump's second event in Butler, Pennsylvania, earlier this month.
The transition seems to have commenced sooner than previously recognized. Musk has contributed to conservative causes for years, as reported by the Wall Street Journal this month, providing tens of millions of dollars to right-wing organizations.
In 2022, Musk allocated over $50 million to finance anti-immigrant and anti-transgender commercials produced by an organization named Citizens for Sanity. The officers of the group are employees of America First Legal, a non-profit organization directed by Trump advisor Stephen Miller.
He has also contributed millions to another conservative organization, Building America’s Future, which aims to diminish Kamala Harris’s backing among Black voters. The group has initiated advertisements criticizing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for their policies regarding the Mexican border.
Independent FEC filings on Tuesday revealed that Miriam Adelson, the casino tycoon, exclusively contributed $95 million to another pro-Trump Super PAC, Preserve America PAC.
