PoliticsDonald Trump Caught on Tape Bragging About 'Bombing' Russia Despite Close Friendship With Vladimir Putin: 'I Have No Choice'
The president has fallen short on his promise to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of being elected.
July 9 2025, Published 3:29 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump was caught bragging to his campaign donors before the 2024 presidential election, telling them he threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin to his face over the Ukraine war.
The shocking audio was aired on CNN on Tuesday, July 8, after it was obtained by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf, authors of the new book 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.
'I'm Gonna Bomb the S--- Out of Moscow'
The president could be heard saying he had 'no choice' but to 'bomb' Moscow.
“I had a very strong conversation with President Putin, and he understood,” Trump could be heard saying. “And I won’t go into the great details of the conversation. Because nobody has to know that.”
“With Putin, I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m gonna bomb the s--- out of Moscow. I’m telling you, l have no choice,’” the president continued. “So he goes like, ‘I don't believe you.’ He said, ‘No way.’”
“And I said, ‘Way.’ And then he goes like, ‘I don't believe you,’ but the truth is he believed me 10 percent,” Trump added. “I told you this; he believed me 10 percent.”
Donald Trump Promises to End Ukraine War
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014.
Notably, Trump promised Americans at the September 2024 debate against former Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, Penn., that if he were elected president, he would end the Ukraine war within the first 24 hours of being back in the White House.
“That is a war that’s dying to be settled,” Trump told the crowd. “I will get it settled before I even become president.”
“I know [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy very well, and I know Putin very well,” he continued. “I have a good relationship, and they respect your president, OK? They respect me. They don’t respect [Joe] Biden.”
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Russia Occupies 20 Percent of Ukraine
Russia reportedly occupies 20 percent of Ukraine.
As the war continues to rage, Russia reportedly occupies 20 percent of Ukraine after its initial invasion in 2014.
Despite his promise remaining unfulfilled, Trump’s apparent impatience for the lack of conflict resolution was evident on Monday, July 7, when he told White House reporters the U.S. will send more weapons to Ukraine for their military.
U.S. to Send More Weapons to Ukraine
Donald Trump recently stated he would be sending more weapons to Ukraine.
“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to,” the president stated. “They have to be able to defend themselves.”
Trump specified they would “primarily” be “defensive weapons” for Ukraine, which is “getting hit very hard” and causing “so many people” to die “in that mess.”
