In a newly surfaced audio recording from a 2024 private campaign fundraiser, President Donald Trump claimed he issued stark warnings to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to deter potential invasions of Ukraine and Taiwan.
The recording, obtained by CNN captures Trump boasting to donors about his aggressive foreign policy stance.
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According to the audio, Trump recounted telling Putin, “If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the s—t out of Moscow. I’m telling you, I have no choice.”
He claimed Putin responded with disbelief, saying, “No way,” but added that the Russian leader believed the threat “10 percent,” which Trump suggested was sufficient to deter aggression.
Trump described a similar conversation with Xi, stating he warned that if China invaded Taiwan, the U.S. would “bomb the s—t out of Beijing.”
He noted Xi thought he was “crazy” but believed the threat to a similar degree, adding, “10 percent is all you need.”
The remarks, made during fundraisers in New York and Florida, reflect a provocative side of Trump’s rhetoric behind closed doors as he campaigned for his second term.
The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, responded cautiously, stating it could not confirm the authenticity of the recording and noting the prevalence of “fake news.”
Peskov also suggested no such conversation occurred during the Biden administration, as Trump was not president at the time.