Donald Trump caught on tape discussing sanctions with Russia during election
After months of denying any meetings with Russians or “Russian Collusion” to steal the 2016 presidential election, it was found that Donald Trump’s campaign did indeed hold a meeting at Trump Tower in New York City with a motley crew of Russians. That bombshell was followed with the crazy excuse that the meeting was set up for the purpose of discussing Russian adoptions. While it is true that Russia ended American adoptions of Russian children in retaliation to the implementation of the Magnitsky Act – a bill passed in 2012 to punish Russian officials responsible for the death of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky – this meeting was found to be about much more than simply adoption.
The passage of the Magnitsky Act in America prevented Russian president Vladamir Putin, and many of his wealthy oligarch associates, from accessing hundreds of millions of dollars. Mere months later, Trump held his Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. Trump even sent a tweet asking if Putin would be there and if he “will he become my new best friend?”. A video has recently surfaced from shortly after Trump announced his run for president which sheds new light.
In the video, Maria Butina, an apprentice of Russian banking magnate – and friend of Putin – Alexander Torshin, is seen very directly asking Trump about Russian sanctions (link). In typical Trump fashion, he answers “I know Putin, and I’ll tell you what, we get along with Putin… I believe I would get along very nicely with Putin, OK? And I mean, where we have the strength. I don’t think you’d need the sanctions.”
Despite his previous comments during the campaign of not knowing Putin, Trump blatantly admits that he and Putin actually get along nicely. As we now know, the Trump Tower meeting was intended to solidify the quid pro quo of removing the Magnitsky Act in exchange for helping hack the election. Does Trump think tweets and video are somehow simply forgotten about? This entire illegitimate administration has been solely about pocketing more money as Trump is only interested in improving his personal business, but if there’s one thing we have learned from Trump’s previous business deals, they always end poorly for him, and this presidency will be no different.
I’m a ceramic engineer living in Central New York, avid sports fan but find myself more interested in politics lately.