Shocked Journalists React to ‘Deeply Disturbing’ Trump-Putin Bounty Revelation: ‘What Does He Have on You?’
Journalists and other media figures on Twitter reacted with shock over President Donald Trump’s revelation that he did not ask Vladimir Putin about reports of Russian government bounties on U.S. soldiers, and over his explanation for that failure.
Trump’s revelation, made in an interview clip posted by Axios Wednesday morning, was met with sharp criticism.
CNN’s Jim Sciutto called the news “deeply disturbing,” and said one of Trump’s explanations was a Russian talking point.
This is deeply disturbing. Beyond admitting he never raised Russian bounties intel to Putin in at least 8 conversations, asked about Russia arming the Taliban, Trump says “Well, we supplied weapons when they were fighting Russia, too”. A Russian talking pt https://t.co/6yZkyPMyXo
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) July 29, 2020
Breakfast Media White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg, formerly of Sputnik, made a similar observation.
Amazing. @realDonaldTrump’s answer to @jonathanvswan is a classic Russian “whataboutism” response. https://t.co/Qolhe6hT9V
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 29, 2020
Veteran White House correspondent Paul Brandus put an even finer point on it, writing “You admit not bothering to discuss with Putin Russian bounties for killing American troops? What does he have on you?”
.@realDonaldTrump You admit not bothering to discuss with Putin Russian bounties for killing American troops? What does he have on you?
— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) July 29, 2020
CNN’s Poppy Harlow wrote “Eight phone calls w/ Putin and not a single question about intelligence indicating Russia paid the Taliban to kill U.S. troops.”
Eight phone calls w/ Putin and not a single question about intelligence indicating Russia paid the Taliban to kill U.S. troops — @jonathanvswan finally gets an answer on this. “I have never discussed it with him”, @realDonaldTrump says. But why? https://t.co/w68ffpjc2I
— Poppy Harlow (@PoppyHarlowCNN) July 29, 2020
Many other journalists and political media figures weighed in.
After Swan rightly notes that regardless of the bounty story, Intel says Russia is supplying weapons to the Taliban, and asks “Isn’t that enough to challenge Putin over the killings of American soldiers?” Trump says “Well we supplied weapons when they were fighting Russia too.“ https://t.co/FEK0Xj8nXA
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 29, 2020
The President seems to equate intelligence “making it to his desk” with a verbal brief, and he glossed over the fact that this particular intel was in his written Presidential Daily Brief… which he says he reads. https://t.co/QbofAYaKSk
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) July 29, 2020
Trump suggests that he did not believe the US intelligence on the Russian bounties https://t.co/tiu8TgafUl
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) July 29, 2020
Imagine a president saying nothing to a foreign leader who encourages the assassination of American GIs.
Well, you don’t have to. https://t.co/iub3nU653N
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) July 29, 2020
This should frighten you.
One of most effective questioning of Trump you’ve ever seen (by @jonathanvswan on #AxiosOnHBO)
Trump has NO GOOD response for NEVER raising Russian bounties/arming Taliban with Putin.
Plus: Russia may still be doing it.pic.twitter.com/8oAbLTzVRv
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) July 29, 2020
If you have a patriotic bone in your body, this is difficult to watch. He has memorized the Russian talking points. He’s defending Russia.
Treason. https://t.co/5qMmxa29MH
— Nate McMurray for Congress 2020 (@Nate_McMurray) July 29, 2020
Trump’s obsequious adherence to Putin’s wishes is a direct result of him accepting foreign election assistance.
Bill Barr clumsily tried to white wash that yesterday.
Nothing will ever erase the stain.#TrumpRussia #WednesdayWisdom https://t.co/YnO2nQTGNy
— Grant Stern (@grantstern) July 29, 2020
Trump is using Kremlin talking points in order to justify why he didn’t raise the issue of Russian bounties being placed on US troops when speaking with Vladimir Putin.
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) July 29, 2020
This is Trump’s nonsensical answer when asked if he discussed Russian bounties with Putin: “We don’t talk about what we discussed, but we had plenty of discussion.” It would be comical if it wasn’t so treasonous.
— Richard Stengel (@stengel) July 29, 2020
Trump reveals in interview:
*He didn’t ask Putin if he paid bounties to kill us soldiers.
*He takes intel briefings 2 or 3 x week
*He does read and comprehends “better than anyone you’ve interviewed in a long time”
*nuclear proliferation much bigger concern than global warming https://t.co/WqxMInFG2V— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) July 29, 2020
Memo to Trump:
Giving Putin a pass on aiding and abetting Taliban’s killing of American troops is an inexplicable and inexcusable betrayal of your oath to protect the United States and our people.
You act as though your loyalty is to Vladimir Putin. https://t.co/eEe6PG12jd
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) July 29, 2020
Trump’s initial response when asked on Monday whether he brought up the bounties with Putin was, “We don’t talk about what we discuss.” And here he is giving a different answer, about what was and wasn’t discussed: https://t.co/ogZvbxhI30
— Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) July 29, 2020
Watch Trump’s revelation above via Axios.
