Donald J. Trump declined to comment on whether he’d talked with the Russian president since leaving office. But he added, “If I have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing.”
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Former President Donald J. Trump speaking at a meeting of the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday.
Former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday repeatedly dodged a question about whether he had spoken to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia after his presidency ended but added that it would have been a “smart thing” if he had.
During a frequently combative interview, John Micklethwait, the editor in chief of Bloomberg, asked Mr. Trump directly about a new book by the journalist Bob Woodward that includes an unnamed aide saying the former president and Mr. Putin had spoken as many as seven times since Mr. Trump left office in 2021. The account — which has not been corroborated by other journalists — has revived questions about the two men’s long-scrutinized relationship, particularly in light of Mr. Trump’s criticism of continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
“Well, I don’t comment on that,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Micklethwait during an interview conducted at a meeting of the Economic Club of Chicago. “But I will tell you that, if I did it, it’s a smart thing. If I’m friendly with people, if I have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.”
After trying unsuccessfully to interrupt Mr. Trump — who had launched into a winding account of his views on a Russian pipeline, other countries’ military spending and trade deals — Mr. Micklethwait attempted to clarify Mr. Trump’s remarks. “You seemed to imply that you had talked to him without actually confirming,” he said.
Mr. Trump once again did not issue an outright denial. “I didn’t imply,” Mr. Trump said. “I said I don’t comment on those things.”
ImageMr. Trump’s refusal to answer questions directly about his relationship with Mr. Putin was consistent with the tone of Tuesday’s interview.Credit…Jim Vondruska for The New York TimesImageJohn Micklethwait, the editor in chief of Bloomberg, interviewed Mr. Trump.Credit…Jim Vondruska for The New York Times
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Source: nytimes.com
