Trump: Talking to Putin is a 'Smart Thing'

Former President Donald Trump dodged a question about whether he's been in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office. He was interviewed by Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait at the Economic Club of Chicago. Journalist Bob Woodward's latest book, "War, " claims Trump had seven private phone calls with Putin and sent COVID-19 test machines to Russia. Trump’s camp has denied these reports. During the interview, Micklethwait asked Trump directly if he had spoken to Putin. Trump responded, “I don’t comment on that, ” but added, “If I did, it’s a smart thing. ” He explained that being friendly with foreign leaders is good for the country. Trump mentioned his good relationships with authoritarian leaders like China’s President Xi Jinping and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Woodward’s book details one call in early 2024 where Trump asked an aide to leave before speaking privately with Putin. The aide mentioned multiple calls between the two since Trump left office. Both Trump’s spokesperson and the Kremlin have denied these reports. Trump’s relationship with Putin has been under scrutiny since his 2016 presidential campaign. He once called on Russia to find deleted emails from Hillary Clinton and publicly sided with Putin over U. S. intelligence on election interference. Trump also criticized U. S. aid to Ukraine. In the same interview, Trump avoided saying whether he would ensure a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the November election. He also claimed there was a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election, despite the Capitol attack.