Official statements or credible investigative journalism

Trump Sent COVID-19 Test Machines to Putin During 2020 Pandemic, Spoke Seven Times After Leaving Office, Woodward's Book 'War' Reveals

Oct 8, 2024, 09:06 PM

In his forthcoming book 'War,' journalist Bob Woodward reveals that former President Donald Trump secretly sent COVID-19 test kits and machines to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the pandemic in 2020, amidst a severe shortage of tests in the United States. The book also claims that Trump has had as many as seven phone conversations with Putin since leaving office in January 2021. According to Woodward, an unnamed Trump aide indicated that these calls occurred during a period when Trump was reportedly pressuring Republicans to block military aid to Ukraine. The Kremlin has confirmed that Trump sent the testing devices but denied the claims regarding the frequency of phone calls between Trump and Putin after his presidency. Putin allegedly requested the medical supplies to be kept confidential, expressing concern that revealing their exchange could lead to backlash against Trump.