As of: February 1, 2024, 5:33 a.m
By: Bettina Menzel
Comments
Press
Split
Like an emperor without clothes: Donald Trump © David Becker/afp
The world may have to prepare for a second term in office for Donald Trump.
The US's relationship with Russia would be different: the Republican apparently trusts Putin more than US secret services.
Washington – Donald Trump could become US President again next November.
The list of things the Republican apparently believes includes all sorts of absurd things.
During the corona pandemic, he suggested that injecting bleach could help against Covid.
The bottom line is that the former US president makes the world as he likes it: During his time in office, the now 77-year-old told over 30,000 lies, according to the
Washington Post
.
How much he actually believes in this is unknown.
In any case, Trump says he trusts the word of Russian President Vladimir Putin - but not the US secret service.
Trump trusts Putin more than US intelligence agencies
The former US president recently shared what he thinks of the US secret service on his Truth Social platform.
“Remember when in Helsinki a third-rate reporter asked me who I trusted more, Russian President Putin or our shady intelligence people,” Trump wrote in a post Monday (Jan. 29).
“My instincts told me at the time that we have really bad people.” The 77-year-old then listed several US officials who were involved in the investigation into his relations with Russia.
The background to the investigation at the time was Moscow's suspected influence on the 2016 presidential election campaign.
Then, referring to the US secret service, the ex-president asked rhetorically on Truth Social: “Who would you vote for, Putin or these outsiders?”
This statement fits the picture: As
Time
reported, the Republican had often shown anger during his time in office when the former head of state presented him with intelligence information about foreign affairs that contradicted his personal views.
Aides to the former president also told
Time
that they had to use visual aids and limit briefing points to two or three sentences to maintain the attention of the then-president, and therefore the holder of the United States' nuclear codes.
Trump's admiration for Putin: "A man who is very smart"
Trump's closeness to Putin is not new.
Last September, the Republican said that he was happy to receive compliments from Putin, “because it means that what I am saying is right.” Shortly after the Russian invasion, Trump spoke on the radio about the Kremlin leader's actions in the Ukraine war -Described the show as “brilliant” and “smart”.
“This is a man who is very clever.
I know him very well,” the former US president said at the time about the Russian president.
In return, the American recently received support from Russia.
There are four different criminal proceedings against the Republican - an indictment against an ex-president is a first in US history.
The real estate mogul himself claimed that it was a “witch hunt” against him.
He received support from Putin: The criminal proceedings against Trump are about the “persecution of a political rival for political reasons,” said the Kremlin chief.
But when the Republican recently stated that he could end the Ukraine war within 24 hours if re-elected, even Moscow appeared skeptical.
A re-election of the Republican could also have a direct impact on the NATO defense alliance.
Trump has repeatedly emphasized in the past that he considers the alliance to be “superfluous”.