Trump's AmericaDonald Trump is a business mogul and one of the most entertaining people in modern media. In 2020, he's also one of the most polarizing—and potentially dangerous—figures in world history.
President Donald Trump is controversial for a lot of reasons. But one of the biggest ones is definitely his interesting relationship with Russia and its president Vladimir Putin. Since it was first discussed during the third presidential debate in 2016, the conversation shifted rapidly to Trump’s relationship with the Russian President, and to questions of whether or not Russia has interfered in the 2016 election. As is turns out, Russia did some pretty shady things in the 2016 election.
Naturally, a presidential hopeful having an overtly friendly relationship with a man who’s been accused of overseeing a nauseating amount of human rights abuses didn't sway American voters. Throughout the election, rumors have surfaced that the billionaire and the alleged dictator have a kind of buddy-buddy relationship. Even The Simpsons have skewered their relationship.
It’s not the first time that word has floated in the wake of a discussion of Putin and Trump’s bromance. Just how close are the presidential hopeful and the amateur Russian karate champion, and what impact on Trump's presidency?
Trump's Son-In-Law - And Senior Advisor - Met With The Russians Before The Election Too
Photo: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff / flickr / CC-BY 2.0
Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was a controversial pick as a senior advisor when he took the job shortly after the inauguration. The real estate and media mogul had some troubling financial interests, and some questioned whether the pick was a sign of nepotism.
But then, in April 2017, Kushner's position became even more problematic. Kushner, as well as a few other of Trump's senior advisors, secretly met with Russian diplomats before the inauguration and failed to disclose that on a top secret clearance application.
Then, a month later, several news outlets reported Kushner was under investigation by the FBI as part of a probe into Russia's role in the 2016 election. According to the Washington Post, senior intelligence officials alleged Kushner asked a Russian official to establish a secret communication channel between the two countries before Trump took office.
Sources Said Trump Campaign Contacted Russian Officials 18 Times During The Election
According to Reuters, multiple sources said Trump's campaign team contact Russian officials at least 18 times in the last seven months of the 2016 election. The revelation came in May 2017 after reporters started interviewing current and former White House officials about the alleged contact.
This included phone calls and emails that were not previously disclosed. The White House denied these conversations in January, after former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted he spoke with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016.
Trump Disclosed Classified Info To Two Russian Officials In The White House
In early May 2017 - just a week after firing FBI Director James Comey - Trump met with two Russian officials, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, in the Oval Office for a private meeting. The Russian media was invited, which later released photos of Lavrov and Trump shaking hands, causing many to wonder the nature of their meeting.
Retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn was appointed as Trump's national security advisor shortly after Trump won the election in November 2016. He was a controversial pick because he had ties to Russia, was a supporter of the far-right movement, and promoted conspiracy theories on his Twitter account.
In December 2016, before Trump formally took office, Flynn spoke with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On the same day, former President Barack Obama announced Russia was possibly involved in trying to sway the election. Obama administration officials discovered Flynn and Kislyak spoke to one another about matters of national security and business sanctions, violating the Logan Act, which bans unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign powers in dispute with the US. This set off a series of events - including an investigation into Flynn because he lied about the meeting in an interview with the FBI. He was dismissed in February 2017, but the FBI investigation into him was just beginning.
In March 2017, Flynn allegedly offered to testify to the FBI and any other committee about his relationship with Russia, as long as he was granted immunity. When that was declined, several officials - including Obama - said they warned Trump that Flynn might be compromised by his Russian contacts. Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates - who was fired by Trump for challenging his immigration ban - testified in May 2017 she believed Flynn might be being blackmailed by the Russians, and told Trump as much in January of that year.
He Fired The FBI Director Before Warning Him Not To Investigate Flynn
Former FBI Director James Comey was fired in May 2017 by President Trump. But the reasons why are a little murky - and semi-suspicious.
Comey - who was appointed to the position by Obama - was investigating Flynn's involvement with Russian officials after it came to light in February 2017 that Flynn lied about speaking with the Russian ambassador. It wasn't the first time Comey was looking into Russia's ties to the US government. In the summer of 2016, Comey received what is now called the "Donald Trump-Russia dossier," which outlined some suspicious activities between Trump's campaign and the country. That prompted its own investigation into Russia, which would eventually roll over into the 2017 investigation.
In January 2017, Comey and Trump allegedly met for a private meal where Trump asked Comey to pledge his allegiance to him. Comey said he would be honest and fair. Two months later, Comey was testifying in front of the House Intelligence Committee and confirmed the FBI was investigating a possible link between Trump's campaign and Russia. Trump went to Comey, according to a memo Comey wrote, asking him to shut down the Russia investigation.
In May, Comey asked the Justice Department for an increase in funding, and began moving to legally acquire depositions and evidence from various members of government and Trump's team. White House sources told several publications that this angered Trump, and he retaliated by firing Comey out of the blue. Trump said he wanted to fire Comey when he took office in January, but many people suspected he thought the investigation might cease without Comey at the head.
But that backfired. Days later, representatives on the House Intelligence Committees demanded an investigation, asking the FBI to turn over all evidence of the discussions between Comey and Trump. Officials said Trump's firing of Comey was an obstruction of justice to the FBI, some even saying it was enough to impeach him.
Eric Trump Bragged About Getting Money From Russia To Bolster Business
In 2017, author James Dodson told radio station WBUR about a conversation he and Eric Trump had in 2014. He said Donald Trump invited him to play golf, and Dodson chatted with his son Eric. The conversation turned to business, and Eric bragged to him he had acquired $100 million to fund renovations to one of his golf courses. Dodson told the radio station this was strange - as banks were still reeling from the recession - and asked how he managed that.
"As we were setting off, I said, 'Eric, who's funding? I know no banks - because of the recession, the Great Recession - have touched a golf course. You know, no one's funding any kind of golf construction. It's dead in the water the last four or five years.' And this is what he said. He said, 'Well, we don't rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.'"
