Donald Trump Threatened Putin and Xi that he Would Bomb Moscow, Beijing

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had separately warned both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping that he would bomb their respective capitals if either of them invaded their neighbors, newly released audio broadcast by CNN shows.

The U.S. president was recorded speaking at a private fundraiser in 2024 about his conversations with Putin and Xi.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m gonna bomb the s*** out of Moscow,'” Trump is heard saying, recounting his version of their conversation. He also said with Xi he also threatened to “bomb the s*** out of Beijing” if it invaded Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own.

When contacted for comment, the White House told Newsweek in a statement that “as President Trump has said time and again, Russia never dared invade Ukraine when he was in office. It happened only when Biden was in office.”

Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment.

Why It Matters

Trump has repeatedly said that if he had been president, Putin would not have invaded Ukraine. After months of what many saw as him promoting closer ties between Washington and Moscow, Trump is becoming increasingly critical of Putin’s intransigence to U.S. proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which faces continuing drone strikes.

The release of the audio from 2024 where he says he threatened bomb strikes on Moscow—as well as Beijing—will likely be assessed closely in those capitals.

What To Know

CNN released the audio of the comments Trump made during fundraisers in 2024 in New York and Florida for his second presidential campaign.

The audio was obtained by journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf who described the exchanges in their book, 2024.

Trump can be heard describing conversations with Putin and Xi as he argued how unlike former President Joe Biden, he would have prevented conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza if he were president.

As well as his threats to Putin about bombing Moscow if he went into Ukraine, Trump also said that he “said the same thing” to Xi if he tried to go into Taiwan.

“He thought I was crazy,” Trump said of the Chinese leader before adding “we never had a problem.”

Trump said that both leaders responded with incredulity but believed him “10 percent” adding “10 percent is all you need. In fact, 5 percent would have been OK too.”

The audio’s emergence follows Trump’s frustration with Putin’s resistance to a peace deal, as he has complained that the Russian leader was throwing “a lot of b******t” at the U.S. “I’m not happy with Putin,” he added.

When contacted for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Newsweek in a statement Wednesday that “Russia never dared invade Ukraine” when Trump was in office.

“Thanks to this President’s leadership, America is once again the leader of the free world, and peace through strength is restored,” the statement said, adding that, “Trump won on an America First agenda, and he is working hard to implement the mandate the American people gave him.”

On Monday, Trump pledged further military aid for Ukraine.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump, per audio released on CNN: “With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the s*** out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice…then he goes like ‘I don’t believe you’. But the truth is he believed me 10 percent.”

Trump also said: “Then I’m with President Xi of China. I said the same thing to them, I said, ‘You know, if you go into Taiwan, I’m gonna bomb the s*** out of Beijing.’ He thought I was crazy.

“He said, ‘Beijing? You’re gonna bomb Beij—’ I said, ‘I have no choice. I got to bomb you. We’re gonna bomb Bei—’ And he didn’t believe me either, he said 10 percent. 10 percent is all you need. In fact, 5 percent would have been OK too.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly, in a statement: “As President Trump has said time and again, Russia never dared invade Ukraine when he was in office. It happened only when Biden was in office.”

What Happens Next

There will be anticipation over whether there will be official responses from Moscow and Beijing over the release of the remarks.

For More Details: https://www.newsweek.com/trump....-xi-putin-audio-bomb