OPINION: Is Trump a Russian Asset?

Fact or fiction: President Trump is a Russian asset. The following information will provide the facts you will need to make your own decision about Trump.

The former head of Kazakhstan’s intelligence service, Alnur Mussayev, claimed on Facebook that Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987, during his first visit to Moscow. Mussayev claimed recruiting businessmen from capitalist countries was a KGB objective. The KGB labeled Trump as a narcissistic, greedy, attention-starved businessman who could be easily manipulated. Former KGB major Yuri Shvets said the same thing in 2021.

Any documents proving this theory would be held by the Russians and are not available. The only evidence we have are the words and actions of Trump towards Russia, Putin and Ukraine during his past and current presidencies.

During Trump’s first term: he fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia; took Vladimir Putin’s word about no Russian interference in the 2016 election, over the US intelligence community’s evidence; did nothing after Russia hacked the U.S. government; held private meetings with Vladimir Putin without staff present; blurted out classified information to Russian officials; tried to get Russia back into the G7; said nothing when Vladimir Putin poisoned a leading Russian opposition figure; praised Putin as a genius in his invasion of Ukraine; and insulted the leaders of Canada, France, Britain, Germany, and Sweden, but never Russia. 

Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s White House communications director in 2017, suggested that Trump’s deference to Putin puzzled many of his former senior officials. Scaramucci said that Putin has a mysterious hold on Trump. 

Trump also spoke with Putin seven times after the end of his first term.

In February 2024, Trump warned that he would allow Russia to do whatever it wanted to NATO member nations that were “delinquent” in devoting 2% of their gross domestic product to defense.

The U.N. General Assembly on Feb 24, 2025 adopted two resolutions calling for an end to the war in Ukraine. Both of these resolutions identified Russia as the aggressor who invaded Ukraine. The United States joined Russia in voting against these two resolutions.

Trump excluded Ukraine from meetings with Putin about ending the fighting in Ukraine. Trump lied and said that Ukraine started the war with Russia. In February, Trump ordered the U.S. Cyber Command to halt offensive cyber and information operations against Russia.  Trump called Zelensky a dictator. Trump publicly berated Ukrainian President Zelensky during a televised meeting in the Oval Office. In March, Trump paused military aid, intelligence sharing and satellite imagery with Ukraine. These actions will significantly reduce Ukraine’s ability to repel Russia’s invasion forces. 

The above evidence documenting Trump’s words and actions, tells us that Trump favors Russia rather than Ukraine and our European allies.  

Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley said it best during a recent Senate committee hearing, “What a Russian asset would do would be to work to get the very best deal for Russia and that appears to be exactly what Donald Trump is trying to accomplish.”

The bottom line is Trump has been and is currently actively and intentionally supporting Russia against Ukraine, Europe and America. Why?

Tom Laurent
March 13, 2025

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