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According to newly revealed audio from a 2024 fundraiser, US President Donald Trump told private donors that he once threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with bombing Moscow to prevent an invasion of Ukraine.
“If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the sh*t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,” Trump reportedly said, adding that Putin “believed me 10%.”
Trump also claimed he issued a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan, telling him the U.S. would bomb Beijing.
“He thought I was crazy,” Trump said of Xi, noting that “we never had a problem.”
These remarks were captured in a series of audiotapes from 2024 fundraisers in New York and Florida, detailed in the new book “2024” by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf.
The Trump campaign has not commented on the tapes’ content.
Unleashed Rhetoric on Foreign Policy, Protests, and Donors
The audio reveals a more unvarnished side of Trump as he appealed to wealthy donors behind closed doors.
He discussed his aggressive foreign policy approach, his intention to deport student protestors, and his belief that “welfare people” consistently vote for Democrats.
Trump used his purported threats to Putin and Xi to bolster his argument that he would have prevented the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza if he were president instead of Joe Biden.
On Tuesday, Trump reiterated his frustration with Putin’s resistance to a peace deal, complaining that the Russian leader was offering “a lot of bullsh*t.”
At other fundraisers, Trump boasted about his fundraising tactics, including pressuring wealthy allies for tens of millions of dollars.
He also outlined plans to deport student demonstrators, specifically targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses.
“Any student that protests, I would throw them out of the country,” Trump stated, vowing to “set that movement back 25 to 30 years” if elected.
Since taking office, his administration has pursued this pledge, leading to legal challenges over mass deportations and visa revocations for students.
Trump also asserted to donors that Republicans face a disadvantage because “the welfare people will always vote for Democrats,” adding that unions and civil service also heavily favour Democrats. He encouraged his “Jewish friends” to “start voting Republican.”
Additionally, he bragged about convincing a donor to increase a $1 million offer to $25 million for lunch with him, highlighting his assertive fundraising style.
