Trump caught on hot mic saying Putin wants to ‘make a deal for me’

Desmond Milligan · August 19

President Trump was captured on a hot mic Monday telling French President Emmanuel Macron that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to “make a deal for me.”

“I think he wants to make a deal,” Trump said in the East Room of the White House ahead of the meeting between several of Europe’s most powerful leaders.

“I think he wants to make a deal for me,” he continued. “Do you understand that? As crazy as it sounds.”

Trump was also heard saying, “I’ll set up a trilat,” referring to a meeting between himself, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He has expressed this position publicly as well.

In an NBC News interview Monday evening, Macron weighed in on the hot mic moment.

“I think this is great news, and indeed, your president is very confident about this capacity to get this deal done with President Putin, and it’s great,” he told host Kristen Welker.

Trump embraced Zelensky at the White House on Monday and largely used their joint Oval Office appearance to increase pressure on Putin to join the peace talks. The dynamic marked a stark shift from the Ukrainian leader’s pior visit to the White House in February, when the conversation devolved into an explosive shouting match on live television.

An extraordinary delegation of seven European leaders, during their own White House meeting Monday, also sought to bolster Ukraine’s negotiating position.

Later in the day, Trump said he spoke to Putin about arranging a time for a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. The president said a trilateral meeting, which he would join, would follow sometime after.

“After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” he posted on Truth Social. “Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.”

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