US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Moscow and Beijing during private fundraising events last year to ‘deter’ Russia and China from attacking Ukraine and Taiwan, according to leaked audio obtained by CNN.
The remarks reportedly came during closed-door donor gatherings held in New York and Florida as part of Trump’s 2024 election campaign.
In the recordings, Trump said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against ‘invading’ Ukraine by threatening to destroy Moscow.
“I told Putin, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I will bomb Moscow flat. I have no choice,’” Trump is heard saying. “He didn’t believe me, but I think he believed me about 10 percent.”
Trump also claimed to have issued a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping, threatening Beijing over any move on Taiwan.
“I told him, ‘If you attack Taiwan, we will bomb Beijing.’ He thought I was crazy. But we didn’t have any problems,” Trump said.
‘Gaza, Ukraine wars wouldn’t happen under me’
In the same recordings, Trump insisted that neither the Ukraine war nor the conflict in Gaza would have erupted had he remained in office instead of President Joe Biden.
“None of this would have happened if I were president,” he claimed.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, Israel continues its offensive on Gaza.
Comments on student protests
The leaked audio also includes Trump’s response to pro-Palestinian demonstrations on US university campuses.
He suggested deporting student protesters as a means of halting the unrest.
“I would deport the students who joined the protests,” Trump is heard saying.
