The U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly warned that he would “bomb the s**t out of Moscow” if Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, according to bombshell audio tapes revealed in a new political book.
The tapes—recorded at a series of 2024 private fundraisers in New York and Florida—were aired Tuesday night by CNN and are featured in the upcoming release, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, authored by journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf.
“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the sh*t out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice,’” Trump is heard saying in the recording. He added that Putin initially didn’t believe him, but “believed me 10%.”
The exact timing of the alleged conversation with Putin remains unclear. The two leaders last met publicly during Trump’s first term, at a 2018 summit in Helsinki, Finland.
In the same tapes, Trump claims he issued a similar warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping over a potential invasion of Taiwan, telling Xi that an attack would lead to the U.S. bombing Beijing. “He thought I was crazy,” Trump said. “But we never had a problem.”
Trump used the anecdotes to bolster his longstanding argument that the world was more stable under his leadership. “Ukraine wouldn’t have happened. Gaza wouldn’t have happened,” he said, echoing recent campaign claims that global conflicts escalated only after President Joe Biden took office.
The revelations come amid a noticeable shift in Trump’s tone toward Putin. Despite maintaining a cordial relationship for years, Trump has in recent months stepped up his criticism of the Russian leader, calling him “crazy” in a May post on TruthSocial. “I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” he remarked during a separate interview.
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Trump reiterated his support for NATO allies at the June summit in the Netherlands, affirming his commitment to the alliance’s mutual defence clause. “I stand with it. That’s why I’m here,” he said, responding to concerns over his previous scepticism of NATO’s role.
Earlier this week, Trump also promised to send 10 additional Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, stating, “They have to defend themselves.” He made the remark during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reinforcing his continued involvement in foreign policy as he campaigns for a second full term.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported Russia’s largest drone attack in a single day, claiming over 700 drones were launched—most intercepted, but some causing damage across the country.
In a response to inquiries, Trump’s Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said, “As President Trump has said time and again, Russia never dared invade Ukraine when he was in office. Thanks to this President’s leadership, America is once again the leader of the free world, and peace through strength is restored.”
