Official announcements from the US government or international news outlets covering US-Russia relations

Russian TV Airs Melania Trump's Nudes Post-Election, Putin's Power Play

Nov 10, 2024, 04:40 PM

Russian state television aired nude photographs of Melania Trump, the future First Lady, on prime time following Donald Trump's election victory. The broadcast, which included presenters congratulating Trump on his win, was seen as a direct message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Trump, signaling disrespect and dominance. This act was interpreted by various commentators as Putin's way of asserting control over Trump by leveraging compromising material, or 'kompromat', suggesting that Trump could be manipulated or controlled through the release of such material.