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Bob Woodward, who spent extensive time with President-elect Donald Trump, said the public should watch Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin closely.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Bob Woodward, best known for uncovering the Watergate scandal, is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who often writes about the inner workings of US politics and government decisions. His 2018 book, Fear: Trump in the White House, was one of the first detailed accounts of Trump’s presidency, highlighting the administration’s internal conflicts and national security concerns. In 2020, Woodward followed up with Rage, based on a series of in-depth interviews with Trump himself, offering a deeper look at his approach to leadership, the pandemic response, and foreign relations.
What Woodward is saying: In an interview on CNN, Woodward said, “There are lots of things to watch in what will be the new Trump administration. I just want to cite one of them, and that is the relationship Trump has with Putin, the Russian leader. I talked a couple of months ago to Dan Coats, the former director of national intelligence under Trump and I asked him ‘what’s going on in this relationship between Trump and Putin’ and Dan Coats said ‘it’s so close it might seem like it might be blackmail.”
Woodward also highlighted concerns from CIA Director Bill Burns, who said, “Putin manipulates, he’s professionally trained to do that. Putin’s got a plan.” Burns has previously suggested that Putin’s tactics are well-honed and that he may attempt to influence Trump on issues like the war in Ukraine.
Another view: Despite Woodward’s claims, President-Elect Donald Trump has been highly critical of him, calling him a “liar” and an “angry little man.” Trump has also consistently denied any connections to Russia, arguing that his dealings with Vladimir Putin have always served America’s best interests. Trump and his team argue that allegations of a “close relationship” with Putin are exaggerated narratives aimed at undermining his credibility and dismiss them as politically motivated.
