Former U.S. President Donald Trump is facing renewed scrutiny following allegations that he sent COVID-19 testing equipment to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the pandemic, according to reports from Bloomberg News and journalist Bob Woodward. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that equipment was sent to Russia in the early stages of the pandemic but refuted claims from Woodward’s new book that Trump and Putin had communicated by phone after Trump left office.
Peskov responded in a written statement, acknowledging that the U.S. had provided testing devices to Russia but denying any post-presidency phone calls between the two leaders. This aligns with Woodward’s assertion in his book War, which alleges Trump secretly sent Abbott COVID-19 testing machines to Putin when such devices were in short supply.
The Trump campaign responded forcefully, calling the claims entirely false. Trump’s 2024 communications director, Steven Cheung, dismissed the allegations, describing Woodward as “demented and deranged,” and accusing him of fabricating stories due to “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Trump also personally refuted the claims, telling ABC News that the reports about sending tests and making phone calls to Putin were false.
The allegations have sparked political reactions, with Vice President Kamala Harris criticizing Trump for prioritizing Putin’s access to testing kits over American citizens during the pandemic. Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Harris characterized the move as an example of Trump’s misguided priorities, pointing to the scarcity of tests in the U.S. at the time. President Joe Biden also condemned Trump during a fundraiser for Senator Bob Casey, calling it further evidence of Trump’s questionable relationship with Putin, asking, “What’s wrong with this guy?”