Trump, Kremlin Dispute Woodward's Reporting

The campaign of Donald Trump wasted little time disputing allegations made in Bob Woodward's new book about his relationship with Vladimir Putin. The book, War, asserts that Trump and Putin have spoken by phone as many as seven times since Trump left office. It also alleges that Trump secretly shipped Putin COVID tests in 2020 for his personal use. In a statement, Trump's campaign declared that "none of these made up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."

The statement attributed to communications director Steven Cheung went on to call the journalist "slow, lethargic, incompetent and overall a boring person with no personality." The Kremlin also denied the men had spoken during Joe Biden's presidency, reports the New York Times. Woodward's account of the continuing communication between the two men appears to be based on a single, unnamed Trump aide, notes the newspaper. Politico adds context to the Trump campaign's quick condemnation: The reporting "quickly reignited allegations of an overly cozy relationship between the two leaders that Trump has for years worked to downplay and dismiss." (More Donald Trump 2024 stories.)