It recently came to light, through an upcoming book by investigative reporter Bob Woodward titled War, that, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, then-President Donald Trump had ordered that COVID-19 testing machines be shipped to Russian President Vladimir Putin in secret. The claims have been met with a firestorm of criticism, most vociferously from Vice President Kamala Harris, who has jumped on the opportunity to censure the actions of Trump and question his judgment.
A stunning revelation and allegation on Trump
Trump even sent Abbott Point of Care COVID-19 testing machines to Putin, according to Woodward’s book, at a time when they were in especially short supply in the United States. The report describes a conversation in which it is claimed Putin told Trump not to make the agreement public for possible outrage among the populace of America. To this, reportedly, Trump just gave that shrug-off attitude, that he couldn’t care less about any possible repercussions.
This is quite a stunning revelation considering how things were in 2020, when Americans scrambled for testing kits as COVID-19 spread like wildfire through the nation. That the former President of the United States would make it a point to send testing equipment to the leader of a foreign nation-especially one who is often described as a “murderous dictator” has caused eyebrows to rise and some current leaders to react quite strongly to the idea. Harris’
Strong condemnation from Kamala Harris
In an interview with The Howard Stern Show, Kamala Harris did not mince her words; she lambasted Trump. She described the actions as indicative of Trump’s total disregard for American citizens when they are facing a crisis. “People were scrambling to get these kits,” she said, underlining the desperation the many were facing while Trump was busy sending them abroad.
Harris went on to detail more of what was bothering her about Trump’s relationship with the likes of authoritarian leaders such as Putin. She believes he gets “punked” by such men-hails their strongman tactics, and gets played around his ego, ultimately being influenced by pats on the back and favors. “He has this desire to be a dictator,” she said, underscoring that she really believes Trump is a threat to democratic ideals.
Political consequences
These can be some serious allegations in view of the forthcoming presidential election. Harris’ comments came as she attempted to solidify her campaign against Trump, who, although his future is highly controversial, remains an indispensable rival. In highlighting this issue, Harris aims to portray Trump as unfit to lead, which is a storyline that considerably resonates with many voters who are concerned about national security and public health.
President Biden reacted to the story at a fundraiser and lambasted Trump’s judgment for choosing to side with Putin against the people when there was a public health crisis. “Those tests to tell you whether you had COVID were in short supply,” Biden said, adding even more gravitas to the criticism against Trump.
Response of the Trump campaign
The Trump campaign responded to these accusations and called Woodward’s assertions “made-up stories.” Steven Cheung, the communications director for Trump’s campaign, called into question Woodward’s credibility, saying he is biased. He added that Trump had given Woodward “absolutely no access” to him for his book and described it as something less than fact that should not be taken seriously.
The pushback is part of a broader effort by Trump’s team to fight back against damaging narratives related to his presidency and stabilize his base. Yet with each new revelation about his relationship with Putin, and each new decision he made as president, the challenge for Trump becomes more and more multifaceted.
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