Questions linger about Trump’s relationship with Russia
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a government meeting in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, today.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke during a campaign rally, today, in Miami.
WASHINGTON » The questions have been a recurring undercurrent throughout the presidential campaign: What is Donald Trump’s relationship with Russia? Why does he keep praising its president, Vladimir Putin? Is Russia meddling in the U.S. election? And is the FBI investigating any of this?
As the race enters its final stretch, a look at the situation:
TRUMP’S WORDS
Trump has raised eyebrows for repeatedly praising Putin’s leadership and advocating a closer working relationship with Russia despite its record of human rights abuses and recent military incursions in Ukraine and Syria.
“At least he’s a leader,” Trump told MSNBC of Putin last December, “unlike what we have in this country.”
Trump often bemoans the state of U.S.-Russia relations and argues the U.S. would be better off if the two countries put aside their differences and worked together to take on Islamic State militants. That’s despite Russia’s backing of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the U.S. opposes.
“I don’t know Putin but wouldn’t it be nice if we could get along actually with the other country?” Trump asked Sunday at a rally. “They want to get ISIS. We want to get ISIS. We’d put everything together, we knock the hell out of ISIS.”
In recent days Trump has also escalated his criticism of rival Hillary Clinton for being too tough on Putin.
“She speaks very badly of Putin, and I don’t think that’s smart,” Trump recently said at a rally in Ohio. “How do you speak so badly of someone?”
WHAT’S THE RELATIONSHIP?
Trump has been contradictory when describing his relationship with Putin. He told ABC in July that he had “no relationship with” with the Russian leader and had no recollection of ever meeting him. But several times in prior years, he’d stated the opposite.
“I do have a relationship with him,” Trump said in one 2013 interview in Moscow.
The ABC interview in which Trump said he’d “never met” Putin directly contradicted a 2015 interview Trump did with talk-radio host Michael Savage.
Asked point-blank by Savage whether he’d ever met Putin, Trump responded: “Yes. One time, yes. Long time ago.”
TRUMP’S HIRES
Throughout the campaign, Trump has repeatedly tapped top advisers with close ties to Russia. Among them: former campaign chair Paul Manafort.
Trump brought on Manafort in March. Manafort, a longtime Republican operative who’d spent recent years advising a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party before its ouster over alleged corruption, and his deputy Rick Gates took over functional control of managing the Trump campaign in June.
Given the Republican Party’s generally hawkish stance on Russia, Manafort’s past work repeatedly put him in the spotlight.
In August, The New York Times reported that a hand-written ledger of cash payments made by Ukraine’s ousted government listed Manafort as being paid $12.7 million. Ukrainian prosecutors said the payments detailed in the ledger were an effort to obscure bribes.
A few days later, The Associated Press reported that Manafort and Gates had orchestrated a secret Ukrainian lobbying campaign in Washington. Participants said the men had sought to obscure the true backer of the work — Ukraine’s pro-Russian ruling party — by routing lobbying funds through a nonprofit front group.
Manafort and Gates denied having been involved in the lobbying. But emails obtained by the AP explicitly showed Gates giving orders to the lobbyists.
Manafort departed the campaign the following day.
RUSSIAN HACKING
Democratic Party officials learned in late April that their systems were attacked after discovering malicious software on their computers. A cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike Inc., found traces of at least two sophisticated hacking groups on the Democrats’ network — both with ties to the Russian government.
Those hackers took at least one year’s worth of detailed chats, emails and research about Trump, according to a person knowledgeable of the breach who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
CrowdStrike said one of the hacking groups, dubbed Cozy Bear, had previously infiltrated unclassified networks at the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. Another group detected, called Fancy Bear, had targeted private- and public-sector networks since the mid-2000s.
In addition to the Democratic Party hack, other emails were made public in recent months that detailed tens of thousands of messages from Democratic operatives.
Among those were emails of Clinton’s campaign chair John Podesta, which contained thousands of messages to and from Clinton campaign insiders. Clinton’s campaign has said it was notified by the U.S. government that it was investigating Russia for the Podesta hack.
The Podesta emails have been publicly released daily by WikiLeaks. They have provided a steady stream of questions about Clinton’s policy positions, personnel choices and ties with her husband’s charitable network.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Homeland Security Department have formally accused Russian state-sponsored hackers of the Democratic Party cyberattacks and accused them of trying to influence the presidential election.
Trump, meanwhile, has said there’s no proof of Russian involvement in any of the hacking. He’s taken a blase attitude toward a foreign power’s attempts to influence the election, at one pointing calling on Russia to find emails Clinton had deleted. His campaign later said he was joking.
THE FBI’S REACTION
As the election enters its final stretch, Democrats have been pressing for action.
But the FBI’s actions are unclear.
Sen. Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat, accused FBI Director James Comey of a double standard by publicly discussing the FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s private email server without confirming whether it had opened a probe into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
The New York Times reported that the FBI this summer had looked into links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, but had so far found nothing conclusive or criminal. An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.
WHAT HAS RUSSIA SAID?
Russia, including Putin, has denied meddling in the U.S. election.
The AP learned that Russia’s government did lodge an angry complaint in September with the United Nations over a top U.N. official’s condemnations of Trump and several European leaders, an unusual intervention given that none of the criticized politicians were Russian.
Associated Press writers Jeff Horwitz, Jack Gillum and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
42 responses to “Questions linger about Trump’s relationship with Russia”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
OK its our turn “LOCK HIM UP!”
Can you manage to read the article or only the misleading headline that is typically put out by the SA. “The New York Times reported that the FBI this summer had looked into links between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, but had so far found nothing conclusive or criminal.”
Typically, whoever is writing the headlines is crazy. There have been stories where the headlines have nothing at all to do with the story.
reported by Brett Baehr, The FBI has many gmen investigating the Clinton Foundation! Even if elected President, Hillary or Bill or maybe both will be indicted! Also Clinton’s personal server has been hacked by 5 entities in which they are sure 99%. Also new work related emails found on Huma/Weiner’s laptop. Also Hillary’s aides pc/laptop had not been destroyed and they are looking into as we speak!
They are going DOWN! Lock em up! Lock em Up! Lock Em Up!
Steve Pieczenik came out and stated that they with the FBI, CIA, Military Intelligence, Government Intelligent offices and the many more have come together to ward off the corruption that has been brought about by the Clintons and Obama. This is a time in history like no other since our independence where a silent coup led by this band of corrupt individuals who are doing unprecedented things to take over the American government and our freedom and way of life.
He mentioned that they gave information to wikileaks and Assange. The cat is out of the bag and now the honest and brave citizens of America are coming out to fight against this coup. Don’t be surprise to see the rats who are being exposed who are being trapped into a corner to create havoc during the days before the election.
By the way Russia is one of the super powers of the world, why would an American Leader not want to be on diplomatic terms in keeping world peace and fight against the terrorist like ISIS. What good would it do to have WWIII, a nuclear war that only the elite will survive. The world population to be purged, maybe that is what the globalist want. The citizens of America this is a grave time of what may become of America if this lying lady and her corrupt cohorts get into the White House.
Because Russia is a dictatorship and not a free country. Why would you want to have a relationship with a country that kills anyone that disagrees with its form of goverment and.freedom of speech?
Questions linger about The Clinton Foundation’s relationship with Russia. Lock her up.
The StarAdvertiser reporting on Trump-Russia link is all Smoke and Screen.
Assange says Russian Gov. is not source of wikileaks. Also StarAdvertiser what about Hillary ties selling Uranium to the Russia? That’s A BIG question?
wrong again the AP and the press with there lies, lets see in 2008 Obama said we should try to make piece with countries that are aggressive and 2010 Hillary said the same thing, and here trump said if he gets elected he would meet with Russia and try to get back peace relations with them, its okay if this nerobama and the female felon want to make deals with the worse terrorist country like Iran which is worse than Russia and yet you in the press don’t condemn that, that’s why the press is full of you no what with there lies and half truths and a lot of stu__id americans believe this stuff they put out.
and also nerobama and Hillary when she was SS also sold to Russia 16% of our uranium to them. who is really worse its nerobama and Hillary.
The Obama doctrine. Push your friends away, like Israel & Philippines. Hug your enemies close, like Iran. Then act surprised when your friends get pissed and your enemies try to stab you in the back. Oh and don’t forget to blame those evil Republicans lighting their cigars with $100 bills…
Does Donna Brazile work for AP now?
Sounds like it
Sorry 808Cindy, a full blown criminal investigation by the FBi is not the same as AP trying to float some BS
If you were Russia or North Korea, whom would you want in the White House? Who would give them the best chance to take advantage of the USA, maybe even take it over? And who wouldn’t care what happens to the USA, as long as he gets his HUUUGE cut?
Never Trump!
You should be able to answer such a simple question all by yourself. Russia and N. Korea would rather have Hillary in office so they can make use of the all the emails they have no doubt collected on Hillary as a result of her gross negligence to blackmail her. Hillary would be their pawn. That is reason in itself not to elect her.
Stop already. Give it up or join her in the clink.
All those people with Miss Universe who claims Trump called her fat? Umm last time I checked, you won a beauty pageant sweetheart. You’re job is to look beautiful! If you want to let yourself go, not exercise and eat whatever you want, then maybe find another job and not run for Ms. Universe? Same thing applies to male athletes when they arrive after the off season and their coach complains they’re overweight and out of shape.
More cheap shots by the press against Trump. No facts, just questions.
Why doesn’t Director Comey talk about this too?
Obama keeps switching his position on Russia and Assad. Our relationship with Russia improved immensely and then Obama threw Russia under th bus. Similarly, we were opposed to Assad, then we changed our mind, now we are back to hating Assad. What are Obama and the DNC doing? I think now the Obama is deciding foreign policy purely by this Presidential race. This is WRONG!
I notice how the SA placed the Trump/Russia article at the top of the “Top News” section and they quickly they moved the HiLIARy email investigation near the bottom…Such a slanted paper!!
It’s placed in order of newness. The Hillary email news (several articles) have been on the front page several times in the past week, always starting at the top. Now it’s Trump’s turn, and his article will be at the top for half a day, then go down the line.
No conspiracy here.
Mr. Monkey: Clinton apologists are a dying breed. Even the news media is starting to slowly get the picture. The Clintons are going to be radioactive should she lose which seems more and more likely as the days go by. If you haven’t started for the lifeboats yet you may not find a seat. I’m sure you are bright enough not to go down with the ship…or not.
Who let the monkey out?
Questions linger about Obama’s relationship with ISIS.
There is only one person in bed with Russia and that is HILLIAR, she proved that when she was Secretary of State and brokered the uranium deal, putting Putin that much closer to is goal of controlling the world uranium supply. Clinton Foundation banked 145 million in that deal. Thank you HILLIAR for gambling with american lives and putting the United States at risk. And she says Trump isn’t fit to be President if by chance HILLIAR is elected she will sell us all out for her own personal gain.
This is the real information.
I cannot understand people voting for trump, this is third world mentality. He has abused and bullied his way around america and people want to make him president? Hillary is not perfect but at least she is not dangerous. Trump doesnt pay taxes, has illegal Chinese steel in his buildings, stiffs contractors, gropes women, demonizes all who oppose him, lies constantly, disparages minorities and handicap people, ridicules unattractive women and people are going to vote for him.
What has our society come to?
Hillary may be alot of things but she is not TRUMP. Even the Bush’s are voting for Hillary.
This vote really says what type of person you are, Liberals have their flaws but they don’t Hate people as a whole.
Where is Mitt Romney or John McCain when you need them. BTW the economy grew 2.5% in the last quarter.
Never Trump!
IRT Hywsyt1, because Mr. Trump is trusted and Ms Hillary is not. Even you laid out many of the reasons Mr. Trump is trusted. “He has abused and bullied his way around America…” is an excellent trust element for our President, because we know he will never be abused and bullied by Democrats, by lobbyists, by Union leaders, by leaders of other Counties, by leaders of Terrorist groups, etc. Yes, by all means, Ms Hillary is certainly not of the make up of Mr. Trump. Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney don’t come close to Mr. Trump. Both lost to Hawaii born President Obama. Also, Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney are RINO’s and part of the establishment Republicans who has defanged the GOP. Watch the Progressive Liberal attack come.
Not too sure about the accuracy of your broadsides.
He does pay taxes. He did not pay some taxes, for which he was not obliged to pay, due to losses. What about all the payroll taxes, etc ? that he pays.
This is the first time I heard that he used “illegal” Chinese steel. Under this logic, I imagine you may be currently wearing illegal Chinese underwear.
He does not pay people who do not do a good job. You seem to imply he stiffs all contractors.
I find Hillary to be far far more dangerous than Trump, based in part on her poor judgement in the past (Libya, Iraq, Syria).
Additionally, in the final debate she exhibited a flawed ability to reason clearly on about 10 occasions.
I have seen her and her people do this repeatedly. I do not think some of them know the difference.
Trump may bluster, but I have only rarely seem him exhibit this problem.
I think that it is because you cannot put up a complex large building and not have it fall down if you cannot reason logically.
“She speaks very badly of Putin, and I don’t think that’s smart,” Trump recently said at a rally in Ohio. “How do you speak so badly of someone?”
Wait, WHO said that??? 😀
Of course not a word about the Uranium One deal that Clinton’s State Dept. shepherded through after which a whole bunch of cash flowed to the Clinton Crime Family. Just another example of the AP and junior varsity Star Advertiser covering for Waldo.
This is another trump lie that has been thoroughly debunked.
My “source” was a New York Times article from April 23, 2015. Try again.
PolitiFact, FactCheck.org and the Washington Post all discounted the claims made by trump. It was noted that the New York Times story was based on Breitbart News senior editor-at-large Peter Schweizer’s 2015 book “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hilary Rich,” and we all know how unbiased Breitbart News is. In fact, Schweizer was later forced to admit that he had no concrete evidence of the alleged quid pro quod for Clinton Foundation donors, and even Fox News reported on the author’s acknowledgement that he lacked evidence. Despite the claims made by trump, Hillary Clinton could not have exerted undue influence upon the uranium deal because the state department was only one of nine different federal agencies represented in the negotiations, all of whom were required to approve. The chairman of Uranium One noted that he became a donor to the Clinton Foundation’s Sustainable Growth Initiative well before Clinton was even being considered for Secretary of State, so could not have even predicted her being in any kind of position to help a sale.
You try again CEI.
IRT: skinut, if you don’t know the facts don’t comment or reply it makes you look ignorant.
Maybe you should take your own advice, davcon.
Nonsense.