WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has kept a close eye on foreign policy since leaving the White House, not only with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he reportedly met with seven times since leaving office, but this fact. was frowned upon.
At his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fla., foreign delegations from Israel and Ukraine sat across from President Trump and his campaign staff as if they were holding a bilateral meeting, then in front of a series of news cameras. shared his remarks. Some of the trappings of a state visit.
Trump could argue that by remaining involved in foreign policy, he could easily return to office, but he has faced criticism during his presidency for his close ties to Russia and his talkativeness with other leaders. It also carries risks for President Trump. .
President Trump has enjoyed one-on-one interactions with other leaders during his time in office, and in a speech at a rally Wednesday he argued that having open dialogue can help reduce the size of adversaries. did. When asked about these relationships in a podcast interview, President Trump said, “The tougher they were, the better I got along with them,” adding that it was good to get along with President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. he added. “Other things are easier to handle,” he said.
President Trump has spent years trying to end the war in Ukraine (which Democratic critics say requires Ukraine’s complete surrender to Russia), and also to woo American journalist Evan Gershkovitch. Even before he was reelected as president, he had been insisting that he be reinstated. Gershkovic, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained by the Russian government on suspicion of being a spy, but was released after the Biden administration negotiated a major prisoner swap.
Trump’s claim that he could have gotten Gershkovic released was raised this year, especially since U.S. law forbids civilians from engaging in foreign policy without government permission, and that Trump has relied on the Biden administration’s blessing and will. There was no evidence of any attempt to communicate, leading to skepticism.
The new report details President Trump’s alleged communications with President Putin, according to journalist Bob Woodward’s recent book “War,” with whom they have spoken “probably seven times” since leaving office. The book states that this includes the beginning of this year. A senior aide said they were left loitering outside the Mar-a-Lago office after Trump kicked them out of the room. President Trump denounced this explanation as “wrong.”
President Trump’s relationship with President Putin has drawn criticism from political opponents, and the alleged phone call, which took place just four weeks after Election Day, has set a trap for Democrats.
But Putin is not the only foreign leader Trump is talking to. And it is not uncommon for presidential candidates to initiate talks with foreign leaders.
President Trump has hosted foreign leaders at his homes in both countries, recently inviting British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to dinner and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the first time in five years. He also had an impromptu phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this spring and a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week as Iran rained missiles on Israel.
In a new memoir published Tuesday, Melania Trump describes how her family maintained a friendship with the British royal family into life after the White House and how she and King Charles “to this day” He detailed how they had exchanged letters. At this summer’s Republican National Convention, foreign officials showed unrelenting favor to Mr. Trump and his allies.
After the first assassination attempt on Trump in July, foreign leaders were quick to offer their congratulations to the president. President Trump posted a letter he received from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Truth Social.
President Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda met in New York in April, with Duda seeking to emphasize the urgency of Washington’s support for Ukraine.
President Trump hosted Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, and former British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
One U.S. official said that while there may be some discomfort with President Trump’s meetings with foreign leaders, the administration understands the dynamics and regularly communicates with foreign opposition leaders. He said he was aware that the two countries had met and were welcomed within the country.
Some of Trump’s contacts, such as Mr. Orbán and Mr. Putin, offer a little more silence.
For the most part, however, President Trump’s hard-line statements have been seen as little more than minor provocations, and are seen as a way of looking down on him on the condition that he refrain from making policy.
Other former officials said the meeting had long-term value given Trump’s standing in the polls.
“It’s smart to reach out to Republicans. It’s smart to reach out to the Trump world,” said Daniel, a top U.S. diplomat who worked on European affairs for former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Freed said. He served as ambassador to Poland in the Clinton administration.
Of the United States’ European allies, he added, “I have particularly encouraged them to do so.”
Freed said the conversation will help “get past a lot of the offensive rhetoric.” “In many cases, they’re getting down to the nitty-gritty,” he said, noting that Trump’s former foreign nationals have insisted to Trump that they are buying American weapons and doing their part. “It’s not just a group,” he explained. Freeloader. ”
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s foreign policy adviser, believes Trump has the best chance of getting a Cabinet post if he wins, but says he’s just answering the phone to government officials looking for insight. He said he was advising Trump to contact him. (The Trump campaign has stressed that any discussions about who Trump will nominate for a second term are not final.)
But Fried said the alleged phone call between President Trump and President Putin is different. First, unlike other meetings and conversations that were made public almost immediately, Trump never made the alleged call public.
“If true, it would provide a possible explanation for President Trump’s extraordinary confidence in his ability to resolve issues with President Putin, but that confidence seems misplaced,” Fried said. ” he said. “We know from President Putin’s relationships with other leaders that he is a master at catering to their desires and fears.”
He is not alone in expressing skepticism. “It’s really strange that a former president is running again and is keeping these lines of communication active and open,” said Brian Katouris, senior fellow and deputy director for policy at the Middle East Institute. This is even more so when we consider the statement made by That was President Trump’s “inadequate record of handling highly sensitive and classified information.”
Katoulis was referring to a trove of classified documents kept by President Trump from his time in office that were the subject of criminal cases, many of which concerned communications with foreign leaders. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
Katoulis called this “an American counterintelligence officer’s worst nightmare,” adding, “Mr. Trump’s carelessness in sharing classified information with adversaries like Russia has made it difficult for Americans working in national security to… “I lost a lot of sleep during President Trump’s first term.” The purported records “risk killing people,” he said.
Although the allegations in Mr. Woodward’s book were released weeks before Election Day, foes and friends alike say they are unlikely to dampen Mr. Trump’s chances.
“In a normal election environment, a story like this would cause serious damage,” he says. “In today’s America, probably half of the voters would shrug their shoulders and the other half would scream in disapproval.”
As for whether the relationship would register with voters, a Trump ally said, “The people we’re trying to reach don’t even know who Mr. Woodward is.”
Speaking at a rally this week, President Trump defended dialogue with hostile leaders, saying it is an effective way to make progress from difficult situations.
President Trump said, “Mr. Biden said, “Oh, North Korea is in a tough situation,”” Trump said, drawing a contrast with his successor and adding that for him, “it’s not a problem.”
“I became very good friends with him. It’s kind of hard at first, right? Remember Little Rocket Man?” Trump continued. “When he said, ‘There’s a red button on my desk,’ “Do you remember that?” It was a very threatening sound, “There’s a red button on the desk.” I said, “I have a red button too, but mine is bigger.” Mine works. Then he called me and asked for a meeting, and we did. ”
The Trump campaign said in a statement that foreign leaders believe Trump is ready to return to office and want to strengthen ties with him.
“World leaders want to talk and meet with President Trump because he will soon return to the White House and restore peace to the world,” said Caroline Leavitt, the campaign’s national affairs spokeswoman. Because I know that I am deaf.”
So far, the Trump campaign has not said much more about the content of the call. The spokesperson said the statement comes after director of communications Stephen Chan attacked Woodward’s report claiming a call with Putin and claimed the book was made up of “made-up stories.” He said he had “nothing to add” to the campaign. The book also details an apparent gift of coronavirus testing equipment that President Trump allegedly gave to President Putin during the pandemic, a claim the Kremlin insists is true. President Trump called the report “wrong” in an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday.
