Stunning Report Alleges Trump Regularly Bullies U.S. Allies, Gets ‘Outplayed’ By Enemies In Phone Calls

TOPLINE

A report from CNN’s Carl Bernstein based on anonymous sources alleges that President Trump is regularly unprepared and out of his depth in phone calls with world leaders, in which he frequently bullies U.S. allies and gets outplayed by enemies, with people familiar with the calls describing them as national security threats that would cause senior Republicans to lose confidence in the president. 

KEY FACTS

Key Background

The report runs parallel to allegations recently made by Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton in his new tell-all book, The Room Where It Happened. Bolton alleges that Trump habitually used the White House’s foreign policy portfolio to pursue his own personal and political interests, sometimes at the expense of national security. Bolton also details instances in which Trump was willing to intervene in U.S. law enforcement investigations on behalf of Erdogan, who Bernstein says has the “ability to get his way with Trump on the phone calls.”

Chief Critic

The White House pushed back hard on the thrust of Bernstein’s report, that Trump is unequipped to deal with world leaders. Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews told Forbes that Trump is a “world class negotiator” and has “consistently furthered America’s interests on the world stage.” She added, “from negotiating the phase one China deal and the USMCA to NATO allies contributing more and defeating ISIS, President Trump has shown his ability to advance America’s strategic interests.”

News Peg

Bernstein’s sources describe the calls as so damning that they would damage Trump’s reputation with both the public and senior Republican lawmakers. One source told Bernstein the calls are “an abomination,” that would cause GOP members of Congress to lose confidence in Trump if full transcripts were released. Bernstein also wrote that sources said that transcriptions and other documents about the calls, prepared by former NSC staffer Fiona Hill, could be “devastating to the President’s standing with members of the Congress of both parties — and the public — if revealed in great detail.”