A national security expert is warning that Vladimir Putin could be “controlling” Donald Trump’s White House and dictating policies that are meant to hurt American interests both at home and overseas.
The bombshell claim came from security expert Samantha Vinograd, who said in an appearance on CNN that there is “still a chance that Vladimir Putin is controlling” Trump. Vinograd was discussing a report from former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe that he had briefed congressional leaders on the FBI’s investigation that Trump could be working directly for Russian interests.
Vinograd noted that the results of that investigation were not known.
“Is that investigation still ongoing? McCabe has said that the president’s moves to undercut investigations, to believe Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence officials, to make personnel decisions based on Russia-related matters all led to this investigation,” Vinograd said (via Newsweek ).
Donald Trump’s controversial relationship with Vladimir Putin remains a point of interest for his critics. Despite a consensus from U.S. intelligence agencies that Putin directed Russia to interfere in the 2016 election to help elect Trump, the president has been hesitant to level sanctions or even speak critically of Russia or Putin.
This week, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said it was the “height of irresponsibility and shameful” that Trump reportedly sided with Putin’s intelligence agencies over his own. As The Hill noted, McCabe had said in an interview on 60 Minutes that Trump dismissed a report compiled by U.S. intelligence agencies that North Korea had missiles that could hit the U.S. mainland, saying that Vladimir Putin had told him that this was untrue.
“I don’t care, I believe Putin,” McCabe claimed Trump told intelligence leaders giving the briefing.
Harris told reporters that she was disturbed to hear that Trump would dismiss his own intelligence agencies.
“I — almost on a daily basis, practically when I am there — meet with members of the intelligence community,” Harris said. “They are a group of incredibly dedicated, skilled professionals who dedicate their lives, often at great sacrifice, to have information that we should know about adversaries and allies.”
National security expert warns there’s “a chance that Vladimir Putin is controlling” Trump’s White House https://t.co/vRrKu8nej2 pic.twitter.com/47R1iTzKRy
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 19, 2019
Donald Trump had previously been slammed for siding with Vladimir Putin after their controversial summit in Helsinki last year, saying he believed Putin’s denial of interference in the 2016 election.
Samantha Vinograd said she believes there are still signs that Donald Trump could be taking orders from Vladimir Putin, saying that the “red flags are flying” higher in recent weeks.
