Trump DENIES ‘deranged’ Bob Woodward claim he sent Putin Covid tests & called Vlad 7 times since leaving White House
DONALD Trump has blasted "deranged" claims he sent Vladimir Putin Covid tests during the pandemic and allegations he has called the Russian tyrant seven times since he left office.
The Republican nominee, 78, said the reports were "false" and his team claimed the story was "made up".
Investigative journalist Bob Woodward made the claims in his soon-to-be-released book, "War".
He alleged that Trump has had as "many as seven" phone calls with the Russian tyrant since he left office.
And that Trump secretly sent Putin coveted Covid tests for his personal use while the US was suffering a shortage in 2020.
Trump and his team have angrily pushed back on the claims - saying Woodward had no access to Trump's inner circle.
Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl that neither of the book's claims occurred.
He said: "That is false."
Trump added; "He's a storyteller. A bad one. And he's lost his marbles."
His campaign spokesman Steven Cheung also categorically denied the claims - calling them "made-up stories".
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He said: "President Trump gave him absolutely no access for this trash book that either belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore or used as toilet tissue."
The Kremlin has also denied the pair have spoken since Trump left office, but claimed that Trump had sent Covid tests.
Woodward claimed in his new book that Trump “secretly sent Putin a bunch of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines for his personal use” at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
A grateful yet paranoid Putin reportedly responded to the gift by telling his US ally: “I don’t want you to tell anybody.
The Watergate reporter claimed Trump nonchalantly replied: “I don’t care. Fine.”
Before Putin replied: “No, no. I don’t want you to tell anybody because people will get mad at you, not me. They don’t care about me."
Throughout the pandemic, the US and Russia were known to share medical supplies under Trump's government such as ventilators.
Woodward also claimed Putin and Trump had kept in contact after he left office in 2021 - despite Vlad's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
President Trump gave him absolutely no access for this trash book that either belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore or used as toilet tissue
Steven Cheung
Earlier this year, Woodward even claimed that Trump ordered his aide to leave his office at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, so he could jump onto a call with Vlad.
Trump has previously been accused of harbouring close ties with Russia and Putin - something he has always strongly denied as a "hoax".
During his time in the White House, Trump managed to keep Russia on his side and kept Putin at bay.
And then Vlad to launched his invasion of Ukraine just one year into the Biden administration.
Trump has vowed if he reclaims the White House he will broker a deal to end the war.
Despite this Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that he and Trump agree that "Putin can't win".
It came after the fractious pair met for tense talks that may decide the fate of the war last month.
It was the first time they have met since 2019.
Woodward's new book War is set to reveal many well-kept secrets on the state of US politics across the Biden administration.
Also touches on Israel's year-long battles in the Middle East and the raging war in Europe involving Putin.
It is due to be released next week with exerts already being released by Woodward's two employers CNN and the Washington Post.
Other topics in the book focus on Biden and his foreign policies - especially concerning his opinions on international leaders.
In one passage Woodward claims the president said: “Putin is evil. We are dealing with the epitome of evil.”
It is unclear what happened to provoke the comments from the usually subdued Biden.
Woodward also says that in October 2021, US intelligence provided “conclusive” evidence that Putin planned to invade Ukraine in a few months, according to CNN.
Biden reportedly responded to CIA director Bill Burns at the time: “Jesus Christ! Now I’ve got to deal with Russia swallowing Ukraine?”
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The president reportedly also blasted Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu after several attempts at a US-designed ceasefire in Gaza were rejected by Israel.
Woodward claims Biden called him "a son of a b****” and “a bad f***ing guy”.
