Trump in Bloomberg Interview Won't Confirm Putin Talks Since Leaving Office: 'If I Did, It's a Smart Thing'

Oct 15, 2024, 05:28 PM

On October 15, 2024, in an interview with Bloomberg's Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait, former President Donald Trump declined to confirm or deny whether he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office. He said, "I don't comment on that. But if I did, it's a smart thing." The question referred to reports by journalist Bob Woodward that Trump has spoken with Putin seven times since leaving office. Trump added, "If I'm friendly with people, if I can have a relationship with people, that's a good thing, not a bad thing, in terms of a country."