Skeptics Question Guardian Report on Kremlin Kompromat on Trump ‘A Little on the Nose’
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Did Vladimir Putin have compromising material (or kompromat) on Donald Trump? It was a topic of conversation at political media cocktail parties and salons from Washington D.C. to the Upper West Side, and a new report suggests that might actually be true. But as a number of skeptics are pointing out, the very thin nature of the sourcing is enough for healthy skepticism.
A stunning new report from The Guardian outlines leaked Kremlin papers that apparently show that Russian President Putin approved a plan to help support then-candidate Trump in January of 2016. The report also appears to confirm that Putin was in possession of compromising material on the future 45th President, which was breathlessly picked up and featured in headlines from predictable outlets.
The Guardian reports:
There is also apparent confirmation that the Kremlin possesses kompromat, or potentially compromising material, on the future president, collected – the document says – from Trump’s earlier “non-official visits to Russian Federation territory”.
The paper refers to “certain events” that happened during Trump’s trips to Moscow. Security council members are invited to find details in appendix five, at paragraph five, the document states. It is unclear what the appendix contains.
The Steele Dossier came to light in early 2017 when Buzzfeed News controversially published the unverified document. This compilation of memos, written by former British spy Christopher Steele, was delivered to then-FBI Director James Comey by Senator John McCain. The explosive dossier contained unverified information and, among other things, claimed the Russians had compromising information on Trump.
The Guardian’s story appears to confirm the existence of kompromat, though as noted by Twitter users Jerry Dunleavy and Southpaw — the latter a prominent online pundit who generally skews left — there is reason to be super skeptical.
Might I suggest being just a bit skeptical here. The alleged leaked Kremlin docs make undisprovable broad claims about kompromat on Trump, but the specifics on that alleged kompromat (which could at least be investigated for their veracity) remain hidden.https://t.co/0DpNSHPpgH pic.twitter.com/ueZ5KrFutz
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) July 15, 2021
It might be a little on the nose for these purportedly highly secret documents to leak but the appendix described here to remain a mcguffin just beyond everyone’s reach. pic.twitter.com/pcb6vqjzxI
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) July 15, 2021
In other words, the burying of details of the alleged kompromat in an “appendix” that wasn’t also mysteriously leaked to The Guardian, is enough to cast a wary eye towards that report.
The Guardian did share screenshots of the leaked documents and claims that independent experts confirmed that they at least appear to be real. A Putin spokesman has denied the report as a great work of fiction.
