Harris seizes on startling new claims regarding Trump’s connections to Putin.

 During his presidency, Donald Trump allegedly took “extraordinary measures” to hide the details of his conversations with Vladimir Putin, even going so far as to “take possession” of his interpreter's notes after a meeting in Moscow. He never clarified why he chose to keep these discussions secret.

Now, questions about Trump’s interactions with Putin following his electoral defeat have escalated the controversy. NBC News reported that Trump has spoken with the Russian president up to seven times since leaving office, including as recently as this year. These claims come from journalist Bob Woodward’s upcoming book, War, which chronicles the White House under Trump and Joe Biden, and is set to be released on October 15.

At first glance, these allegations seem far-fetched, as if concocted by a leftist critic aiming to discredit the GOP candidate. However, according to the esteemed Washington Post journalist, these events indeed transpired.

The story comprises two main points, neither of which has been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News. The first involves a source close to Trump stating that he maintained contact with Putin after leaving the White House, averaging about one undisclosed conversation every six months.

Why would a former U.S. president feel compelled to reach out to an authoritarian leader like Putin seven times post-presidency? This question begs an answer.

The second point raised by Woodward suggests that Trump secretly sent Covid testing equipment to Putin during the pandemic, even as Americans struggled to access such resources. According to Woodward, Putin specifically instructed Trump to keep this matter confidential. Despite Trump's tendency to reveal sensitive information, he complied with Putin's request.

While Trump has dismissed the claims in Woodward's book as false, the Kremlin acknowledges that he indeed sent Covid testing devices to Putin in secret during the crisis.

Common sense might suggest that Trump would be unsettled by these allegations and seek to distance himself from his Russian ally. Yet, as details of the story emerged, he chose to reaffirm his close relationship with Putin, boasting during an interview with conservative podcast host Ben Shapiro about how well he got along with the Russian leader.

This situation likely isn’t what Vice President Kamala Harris intended to focus on with just four weeks before Election Day, but candidates often need to adapt and seize opportunities as they arise. Consequently, Harris addressed the controversy extensively in various interviews, and as the day concluded, her team released a strong television ad emphasizing the allegations.

Amid these developments, it's crucial to consider the broader context. These new allegations follow Trump’s evasiveness about whether he supports Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

This follows Trump criticizing U.S. efforts to combat Russian misinformation, portraying Russia as a victim in the process.

Additionally, Trump has discussed the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions against Russia and publicly congratulated the country over a historical prisoner swap.

Moreover, he has sought validation from Putin to support his stance on Ukraine and has even expressed admiration for Putin’s actions, describing the invasion of Ukraine as “genius” and part of a “wonderful” strategy.

Given years of Trump’s apparent subservience to Putin, it’s no surprise that Moscow reportedly aims to “shape the outcome” of the 2024 election “in favor of” Trump.

This post updates our earlier coverage on this topic.