This posting is going around and it needed some clarification. It is a long read so take the time to digest the post and the responses.
POST: Someday the true story of Donald Trump’s Russian connection will be told and it will read like a spy novel worthy of Tom Clancy…
It’s the story of a beauty pageant that led to the election of a President.
In November of 2013 Donald Trump held the Miss Universe Contest in Moscow.
At the time Trump was beyond broke… He was deeply in debt and after five bankruptcies, not a bank in America would lend him money.
For a week Mr. Trump and a bevy of the most beautiful women in the world partied with all the big wigs in Russia… politicos, oligarchs, rock stars, celebrities, even Vladimir Putin himself.
There has been much speculation about what went down in that week of booze, babes and big money, but whatever it was, it changed the course of history.
A few months later the Trump organization received a massive infusion of cash from Deutsche Bank… a German banking giant that has routinely paid millions in fines for illegally laundering money for the Russians.
Trump left Moscow with the financial backing he so desperately needed and Putin had his hooks in Trump.
In 2015 Trump announced his candidacy for POTUS and Putin began actively cultivating his asset.
The Mueller report States unequivocally that Russia conducted a systematic misinformation campaign designed to tarnish Trump’s opponents and promote his candidacy.
Russia’s influence in the 2016 election was pervasive and it worked…
With Putin’s help Donald J Trump became the 45th President of the United States and he wasted no time paying off the debt he owed to his pal Vladimir…
Trump spoke glowingly of him every chance he got… every executive decision benefited Putin.
He ceded the middle east to Russia, withdrew from Syria and allowed Putin to fill the void.
He turned his back on Ukraine, the last bastion standing between Russia and a free Europe.
He disavowed NATO, the alliance that had held Russia at bay for over 70 years.
He pulled US troops out of Germany… something the Kremlin has always wanted.
At the Helsinki summit, Trump chose to publicly believe Putin over his own intelligence agencies.
He attacked America’s friends and embraced her enemies just as Vladimir wanted.
At home Trump became the divider in chief, driving deep divisions between all the different factions of American society.
To divide America from within… to drive a wedge between blacks and whites, rich and poor, left and right, has long been a part of Putin’s KGB playbook.
Russian hackers are inflaming racial tensions across the country, infiltrating radical groups and planting disinformation on social media.
We can only hope that the US Intelligence Services are prepared to address this threat because obviously Mr.Trump isn’t.
END OF POST
DIVING INTO THE POST IS WHERE WE ARE NOW:
Let’s critically examine each of these statements based on available evidence and historical context, while avoiding speculation where facts are unclear. I’ll address each claim individually, verifying accuracy where possible and noting where evidence is lacking or contested.
1. “In November of 2013 Donald Trump held the Miss Universe Contest in Moscow.”
This is accurate. The Miss Universe pageant took place on November 9, 2013, at Crocus City Hall in Moscow, hosted by Trump, who co-owned the pageant at the time. The event was organized in partnership with Russian real estate developer Aras Agalarov and his son Emin, with significant financial backing from Russian entities like Sberbank and the Crocus Group.
2. “At the time Trump was beyond broke… He was deeply in debt and after five bankruptcies, not a bank in America would lend him money.”
This is partially accurate but overstated. Trump had faced financial difficulties, with several of his businesses filing for bankruptcy (notably in 1991, 1992, 2004, and 2009). However, by 2013, there’s no definitive evidence he was “beyond broke.” His personal finances were opaque, but he maintained a public image of wealth through licensing deals and real estate ventures. It’s true that after his earlier bankruptcies, many major U.S. banks grew wary of lending to him directly, which led him to seek alternative funding sources, including foreign banks like Deutsche Bank. Still, the claim of being “deeply in debt” in 2013 lacks specific public documentation to fully substantiate it at that exact moment.
3. “For a week Mr. Trump and a bevy of the most beautiful women in the world partied with all the big wigs in Russia… politicos, oligarchs, rock stars, celebrities, even Vladimir Putin himself.”
This is exaggerated and partly speculative. Trump was in Moscow for about two days, not a full week, arriving on November 8 and leaving shortly after the pageant on November 9. He did meet with prominent Russians, including oligarchs like Aras Agalarov and Herman Gref (CEO of Sberbank), at events tied to the pageant, such as a dinner at Nobu. There’s no confirmed evidence that Putin attended the pageant or met Trump personally during this trip, despite Trump’s later claims of having spoken to him “indirectly and directly.” Putin’s absence is noted in multiple accounts, though other Kremlin-connected figures were present. The “partying” description aligns with the event’s glamour but lacks specifics beyond anecdotal reports.
4. “There has been much speculation about what went down in that week of booze, babes and big money, but whatever it was, it changed the course of history.”
This is speculative. The Steele dossier famously alleged compromising behavior by Trump at the Ritz-Carlton Moscow during this trip, but these claims remain unverified and fiercely disputed. No concrete evidence has emerged to prove such events altered history. The trip did strengthen Trump’s ties with Russian business figures, which later became relevant during the 2016 election investigations, but the “changed the course of history” assertion is an opinion, not a verifiable fact.
5. “A few months later the Trump Organization received a massive infusion of cash from Deutsche Bank… a German banking giant that has routinely paid millions in fines for illegally laundering money for the Russians.”
This is partially accurate but lacks precise timing and causation. Deutsche Bank had a long relationship with Trump, lending him hundreds of millions over the years, including after U.S. banks grew hesitant. However, no public evidence ties a specific “massive infusion” directly to the months following November 2013. Deutsche Bank did pay significant fines—e.g., $630 million in 2017—for laundering Russian money through its Moscow branch, but no direct link has been proven between those activities and loans to Trump. The timing and intent here are unclear without more specific records.
6. “Trump left Moscow with the financial backing he so desperately needed and Putin had his hooks in Trump.”
This is speculative. Trump earned about $2.3 million from the 2013 pageant, a notable profit facilitated by the Agalarovs, who have Kremlin ties. However, no evidence confirms a direct financial arrangement with Putin or that this event alone secured broader “backing.” The “hooks in Trump” phrasing suggests kompromat or influence, which remains unproven beyond allegations in the Steele dossier and Senate Intelligence Committee concerns about Russian leverage.
7. “In 2015 Trump announced his candidacy for POTUS and Putin began actively cultivating his asset.”
Trump announced his candidacy on June 16, 2015. The idea that Putin “began actively cultivating” him as an asset is a theory, not a proven fact. U.S. intelligence and the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 election to favor Trump, starting in 2015–2016, but whether Trump was a witting “asset” is unconfirmed. The Mueller report found no criminal conspiracy, though it documented numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russians.
8. “The Mueller report States unequivocally that Russia conducted a systematic misinformation campaign designed to tarnish Trump’s opponents and promote his candidacy.”
This is accurate. The Mueller report (released April 2019) detailed Russia’s “sweeping and systematic” interference, including hacking Democratic emails and a social media campaign to boost Trump and harm Clinton. It’s unequivocal on Russia’s intent and actions, though it didn’t conclude Trump’s campaign conspired with them.
9. “Russia’s influence in the 2016 election was pervasive and it worked…”
This is largely accurate but nuanced. Russia’s interference was pervasive, per multiple investigations (Mueller, Senate Intelligence). Whether it “worked” to decisively swing the election is debated—analysts note narrow margins in key states, but no study definitively proves votes changed. Clinton’s loss is also attributed to other factors (e.g., Comey’s email probe).
10. “With Putin’s help Donald J Trump became the 45th President of the United States and he wasted no time paying off the debt he owed to his pal Vladimir…”
Trump became president on January 20, 2017. The “Putin’s help” and “paying off the debt” claims are interpretive. No direct evidence shows a quid pro quo, though Trump’s policies and rhetoric often aligned with Russian interests, raising suspicion among critics.
11. “Trump spoke glowingly of him every chance he got… every executive decision benefited Putin.”
Trump frequently praised Putin publicly, calling him a “strong leader.” However, “every executive decision benefited Putin” is an exaggeration. Some decisions (e.g., sanctions on Russia) contradicted Putin’s interests, though others (e.g., Syria withdrawal) arguably aligned with them.
12. “He ceded the Middle East to Russia, withdrew from Syria and allowed Putin to fill the void.”
This is partially accurate. Trump announced a Syria troop withdrawal in December 2018, criticized as benefiting Russia, which supports Assad. However, “ceded the Middle East” oversimplifies a complex region where U.S. influence persisted (e.g., Israel, Saudi Arabia).
13. “He turned his back on Ukraine, the last bastion standing between Russia and a free Europe.”
This is interpretive. Trump delayed military aid to Ukraine in 2019, leading to his first impeachment, seen as weakening Ukraine against Russia. However, aid was eventually released, and “last bastion” is a dramatic framing not universally accepted.
14. “He disavowed NATO, the alliance that had held Russia at bay for over 70 years.”
Trump criticized NATO repeatedly, calling it “obsolete,” but never formally disavowed it. U.S. participation continued, though his rhetoric strained alliances.
15. “He pulled US troops out of Germany… something the Kremlin has always wanted.”
Accurate in part. In 2020, Trump ordered a reduction of U.S. troops in Germany, aligning with longstanding Russian interests, though the move wasn’t fully implemented before his term ended.
16. “At the Helsinki summit, Trump chose to publicly believe Putin over his own intelligence agencies.”
Accurate. At the July 2018 Helsinki summit, Trump sided with Putin’s denial of election interference, contradicting U.S. intelligence, sparking widespread criticism.
17. “He attacked America’s friends and embraced her enemies just as Vladimir wanted.”
This is subjective. Trump criticized allies (e.g., NATO members) and praised leaders like Putin and Kim Jong Un, but “just as Vladimir wanted” implies intent unproven by evidence.
18. “At home Trump became the divider in chief, driving deep divisions between all the different factions of American society.”
Opinion-based but widely observed. Trump’s rhetoric and policies deepened U.S. polarization, though whether this was deliberate or a byproduct is debated.
19. “To divide America from within… to drive a wedge between blacks and whites, rich and poor, left and right, has long been a part of Putin’s KGB playbook.”
Historically plausible. Soviet and Russian strategies have included exacerbating U.S. divisions, though direct evidence tying Trump’s actions to Putin’s playbook is circumstantial.
20. “Russian hackers are inflaming racial tensions across the country, infiltrating radical groups and planting disinformation on social media.”
Accurate. U.S. intelligence and the Mueller report confirmed Russian efforts to stoke racial tensions and spread disinformation online, ongoing beyond 2016.
21. “We can only hope that the US Intelligence Services are prepared to address this threat because obviously Mr. Trump isn’t.”
Opinion-based. Intelligence agencies have tracked Russian interference, but Trump’s public dismissal of it during his presidency raised concerns about his willingness to counter it.
Summary
Many statements align with known events (e.g., the Moscow pageant, Russia’s election interference, Trump’s pro-Putin rhetoric), but several are speculative or exaggerated (e.g., Putin’s direct involvement in 2013, a specific “debt” to Putin). Claims about Trump’s finances and motives often lack hard evidence, relying on inference. The narrative reflects a critical perspective supported by some facts but amplified by unproven assertions. Where evidence exists, it’s often from investigations like Mueller’s or Senate reports; where it doesn’t, the claims remain conjecture.