Officials: Trump’s calls with world leaders are deranged, ‘delusional’: CNN

• A CNN report on Monday painted a scathing portrait of President Donald Trump’s behavior on the world stage, particularly in regards to his conversations with foreign leaders.
• Multiple sources described the President of the United States as someone who intimidates and belittles allies while flattering autocratic leaders.
• Sources told CNN that Trump is behaving in an “almost sadistic” way with women leaders; who talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin as if they were “two boys in a steam room”; and that the President of Turkey “took him to the dry cleaner.”
• Trump’s behavior was so unusual and erratic that he convinced several senior administration officials that the president was “delusional,” according to the report.
• In some cases, according to the report, Trump’s actions led White House officials to conclude that the president himself posed a threat to national security.
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Phrase changes like “baked in the cake” and “shocking, but not surprising” have become a cliche in the Trump era, but a CNN report Monday featured a full description of President Donald Trump’s conduct in the world stage, particularly regarding his conversations with foreign leaders.

CNN’s Carl Bernstein spoke to multiple sources over a four-month period, all of which were quoted anonymously in the story, but which largely confirmed details that have been previously reported by other media and testified in public hearings.

Overall, these sources painted a scathing portrait of a President of the United States who intimidates and belittles allies while flattering autocratic leaders. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from CNN.

• A person familiar with Trump’s talks with leaders from Russia, Turkey, Canada, Australia and Western Europe described the calls to CNN as “abominations.”
• A source told the media that Trump subjected French President Emmanuel Macron to lectures and verbal “spankings” on issues such as trade, immigration and NATO.
• Trump behaved in an “almost sadistic” manner towards German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former British Prime Minister Theresa May, according to a source. Several other sources confirmed the detail to CNN as well.
• Some of the harshest representations of Trump’s lack of preparedness on critical issues stem from his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
  • During his phone calls, according to CNN and previous media reports, Trump often brags about himself and develops his business acumen, while repeatedly praising the Russian leader and seeking his approval.
  • The president of the United States “gives away the advantage that was hard earned in the Cold War” and “has given Russia a lifeline,” a senior administration official told CNN.
  • Another administration official told CNN that Putin “just beats” Trump. Another source said that their conversations sometimes resemble “two boys in a steam room.”
• A source told CNN that Trump “gave the store away” when he decided to withdraw US troops from Syria, delivering a massive victory to Turkey and Russia.
• More broadly, Trump has little knowledge of issues related to Syria and the Middle East and was not prepared to discuss critical policy issues with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
  • “Erdogan took him to the cleanup,” a source told CNN.

Taken together, Trump’s actions convinced senior administration officials, such as former National Security Advisers John Bolton and HR McMaster, former Defense Secretary James Mattis, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, former Chief of Staff John Kelly and several intelligence officials said Trump was “delusional,” according to CNN.

In fact, Trump’s controversial approach to handling phone calls on national security issues with foreign leaders has been well documented in both media reports and congressional testimony. Overall, as CNN reported, Trump’s behavior led many officials to believe that the president himself posed a national security threat to the United States.

• The most prominent example is a July 25, 2019 phone call that Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which the U.S. President asked his Ukrainian counterpart to launch false investigations against his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, before 2020 election. That phone call and subsequent attempts to cover up its content led to Trump’s impeachment, during which Democratic lawmakers accused the president of compromising national security for his personal political interests.
• Trump “instinctively” decided to withdraw US troops from northern Syria, a monumental move that had far-reaching consequences in the region, after a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
• In a March 2018 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump congratulated the Russian leader on his victory in a fraudulent election even after US national security officials warned him, “DON’T CONGRATULATE” on informational materials before the call.
• Trump’s phone calls with foreign leaders were so troubling that the White House tried to hide the transcripts of the talks, especially those with Mohammed bin Salman and Putin, as previously reported.
• White House employees were “truly horrified” by Trump’s phone calls with Putin and Syria’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
• The president weighed down at one point preventing all officials from listening to his calls with foreign leaders, who intelligence veterans say would have been catastrophic for United States national security.
• White House staff are reportedly required to “babysit” during the president’s phone calls with foreign leaders because he is often unprepared and falls out of the script.
• John Kelly, the former Trump chief of staff, used to silence the line during Trump calls with foreign leaders to urge the president not to discuss sensitive issues.