The growing Trump-Putin kompromat question

Analytics 19:22 18.07.2018
There was a time when the Steele dossier's alleged, lewd tape of Donald Trump in a Moscow hotel room was Something We Didn't Talk About. Then James B. Comey made it not-so-taboo.
 
Now the broader idea that Russia has compromising information, or kompromat, on Trump has moved even more to the forefront. And it's all thanks to Trump's decision to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin — and then practically bow to him.
 
The thing about Trump's posture toward Putin isn't just that it's highly controversial and questionable given Russia's 2016 election interference; it's also totally counter to Trump's brand. This is the guy who wrote the “Art of the Deal” and, just days before his meeting with Putin, was wrecking shop at a NATO summit in hopes of getting fellow members to kick in more for the common defense.
 
Even as he has oscillated from being extremely tough on and extremely friendly toward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump has almost always been deferential to Putin. And that was certainly the case Monday.
 
By the end of the day, both Trump and Putin had been asked about the idea that Russia may be blackmailing Trump (Putin addressed it twice, in fact), and two Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), had suggested Putin had something on Trump. Once wary of looking too conspiratorial, they just went for it.
 
“Millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous and inexplicable behavior is the possibility — the very real possibility — that President Putin holds damaging information over President Trump,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
 
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) went even further, saying it was “likely” that Russia had something on Trump.
 
“I think it's likely,” Merkley told BuzzFeed News. He added: “It's the standard strategy of Russia when people visit there who are important, to try to get compromising information on them, to set them up with hookers, to tape everything that goes on in their room. So it's likely that they have that.”
 
Yep, a United States senator is now talking openly about a United States president having been blackmailed using, in his own words, “hookers.” Charlie Dent, the recently retired Republican congressman, also voiced his suspicion about it on Tuesday morning on CNN.
 
Putin and Trump, for their parts, offered similar talking points to rebut the idea that Putin is pulling Trump's strings. After not appearing to totally deny that he had something on Trump during their news conference, Putin offered a flatter denial to Fox News's Chris Wallace, saying Trump was of no interest to him given he hadn't launched his political career when he was in Moscow in 2013.
 
“We don't have anything on them, and there can't be anything on them. I don't want to insult President Trump when I say this — and I may come [off] as rude — but before he announced that he will run for presidency, he was of no interest for us,” Putin said, according to Fox's translation. “He was a rich person but, well, there's plenty of rich persons in the United States. He was in the construction business. He organized the beauty pageants.
 
“It sounds like it's utter nonsense.”
 
Trump echoed that in an interview with Fox's Sean Hannity.
 
“I guess he said as strongly as you can say it, 'They have no information on Trump,'" Trump said, yet again apparently taking a former KGB officer at his word. “It was an interesting statement, too. You know, many years ago when I was there — what was it, '13 — a long time ago, he said there were many, many business people there. In all fairness, I was a very successful businessman, but I was one of a lot of people. And one thing you know if they had it, it would have been out. And so, he said it's nonsense.”
 
Exactly why Trump acts this way toward Putin is anybody's guess. One possible reason is that he truly admires the strongman and wants to be his friend. Another is that this is all a troll — a massive, obstinate overreaction to the narrative that Russia interfered in the election (and maybe elected Trump). Trump is known to do pretty much the opposite of what everyone urges him to do, and pretty much everyone, including his own party, has urged him to get tough on Putin.
 
But this is also a topic that Trump, according to Comey, hates. Comey said Trump asked him to investigate and disprove the lewd tape allegation. Comey wrote that it “bothered him if there was ‘even a 1 percent chance’ his wife, Melania, thought it was true.”
 
If Trump truly wanted to combat this story line, it would seem rather easy. Instead, he insists upon holding a private, two-hour meeting with Putin and repeatedly declining to press him on the 2016 election. Then he practically defends Putin in public, with the whole world watching.
 
It's becoming a topic that's more difficult to ignore. And even if Putin actually has nothing on Trump, it completely plays into his goal of destabilizing the United States and the West. The more chatter there is about an American president being compromised, the better for him.
Azerbaijan Defense Minister informs NATO chief on situation in Azerbaijan-Armenia conditional border -VIDEO

News line

Azerbaijani oil price exceeds $88
Azerbaijani oil price exceeds $88
09:48 19.03.2024
Mehriban Aliyeva makes post on Last Tuesday before Novruz Holiday
09:35 19.03.2024
Pashinyan: Delimitation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan entered practical stage
09:00 19.03.2024
Pakistan restricts foreign travels of ministers, government officials
Pakistan restricts foreign travels of ministers, government officials
20:39 18.03.2024
EU to boost military support fund for Ukraine by EUR 5 bln — Hungarian foreign minister
20:00 18.03.2024
Industrial zones to be created in Azerbaijan’s Zangilan, Jabrayil, and Gubadli
19:16 18.03.2024
Reuters: Only an oil slump can stop Russia
19:00 18.03.2024
Top Hamas operative killed in hospital raid, IDF says
Top Hamas operative killed in hospital raid, IDF says
18:33 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev congratulates people of Azerbaijan on occasion of Novruz holiday - UPDATED
18:00 18.03.2024
Jens Stoltenberg: We fully support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity
Jens Stoltenberg: We fully support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity
17:47 18.03.2024
2 dead, 6 injured in Türkiye factory explosion
2 dead, 6 injured in Türkiye factory explosion
17:28 18.03.2024
Armenia’s anti-Russian policy reaches new level
17:11 18.03.2024
"The Middle Corridor plays a key role for Green Energy" - Expert Ali Pasha
16:45 18.03.2024
Central square of Khankandi named “Victory Square”
16:22 18.03.2024
President: We demonstrated tremendous heroism during the II Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation
16:16 18.03.2024
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus visited IEPF - PHOTOS - VIDEO
16:00 18.03.2024
Historic opportunity emerged to advance the Azerbaijani-Armenian peace agenda - FM Bayramov
15:21 18.03.2024
Bayramov and Stoltenberg discuss normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia
15:03 18.03.2024
Azerbaijan Defense Minister informs NATO chief on situation in Azerbaijan-Armenia conditional border -VIDEO
14:58 18.03.2024
Stoltenberg's visit to the Caucasus: "NATO is in panic" - OPİNİON
14:29 18.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev holds discussions for upcoming COP29 with Chinese Vice FM
Hikmat Hajiyev holds discussions for upcoming COP29 with Chinese Vice FM
14:00 18.03.2024
Stoltenberg concludes his official visit to Azerbaijan
13:42 18.03.2024
Geomagnetic storm expected on March 20
13:33 18.03.2024
Mbappe celebrates his 250th goal in PSG
Mbappe celebrates his 250th goal in PSG
13:19 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev makes a phone call to Vladimir Putin
13:00 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev lit Novruz bonfire in Khankandi and congratulated Azerbaijani people
12:34 18.03.2024
Foreign students attacked in India over Ramadan prayers
12:30 18.03.2024
Spring comes to Northern Hemisphere
Spring comes to Northern Hemisphere
12:17 18.03.2024
Why does Azerbaijan matter to the European Union? - OPINION
12:00 18.03.2024
Number of human remains found in mass grave in Khojaly reaches 19
11:45 18.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev meets Pakistani envoy to China
Hikmat Hajiyev meets Pakistani envoy to China
11:33 18.03.2024
EU Council to discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization
11:23 18.03.2024
Global Terrorism Index: Azerbaijan among countries with highest anti-terror rating worldwide
10:56 18.03.2024
Oil prices keep rising
Oil prices keep rising
10:40 18.03.2024
Stoltenberg: NATO looking forward to further strengthening partnership with Azerbaijan
10:23 18.03.2024
Azerbaijani police found numerous weapons and ammunition in Khankandi
10:10 18.03.2024
President Ilham Aliyev: There is a good chance for settlement of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations
09:57 18.03.2024
Putin warns about possible war between Russia and NATO
09:40 18.03.2024
Hikmat Hajiyev meets with Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of China
09:23 18.03.2024
Azerbaijan relocates 123 more residents to Fuzuli city
08:53 18.03.2024
Hamısı