- On February 27, Trump received information about the possibility that a Russian military intelligence unit has secretly paid Taliban militants to kill US and coalition forces in Afghanistan, according to a report by the New York Times.
- The same day, Trump had a lengthy meeting with producers behind a dramatized play about former FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, and met with African-American media personalities to discuss “community empowerment.”
- The White House and Trump denied that the President was informed about the alleged Russian operation, and Trump claimed that the US information “did not find this information credible” and therefore did not report the situation to either him or Vice President Mike. Pence.
- However, three NATO officials told Business Insider that they were informed of the situation and the investigation into the alleged plot.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
On February 27, President Donald Trump reportedly received information about the possible Russian reward on US troops in Afghanistan, the same day he had a lengthy meeting with producers behind a dramatization about former FBI agents Peter Strzok. and Lisa Page.
The New York Times reported Monday that Trump received a written report on the alleged Russian operation in late February, in which a Russian military intelligence unit may have secretly offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants for killing US forces. and from the coalition in Afghanistan.
An official pointed out to the Times the date of the President’s Daily Brief as February 27, according to a Monday report by The Times.
The Associated Press also reported that the president was briefed on the possible Russian operation, but offered a timeline that dated a year earlier than established by The Times.
On February 27 of this year, The Daily Beast reported that Trump spent 45 minutes with actors and producers behind a dramatized play depicting former FBI agent Strzok and former FBI attorney Page, who exchanged text messages. about the upcoming 2016 election while having an affair. and they have become targets of Trump’s anger.
The conservative low-budget play, titled “FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers,” debuted at CPAC on February 27, with Strzok played by actor Dean Cain, who played Superman on the 1990s ABC show “Lois and Clark “, and Page played by” The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Actress, “Kristy Swanson.
“We went to a 15-minute meeting that took 45 minutes,” playwright Phelim McAleer told The Daily Beast at the time. “We were there for 45 minutes in the Oval Office, and he loves it, he loves the play.”
Later on February 27, Trump met with African-American media personalities, such as Candace Owens and Diamond and Silk, to discuss “community empowerment,” The Daily Beast reported. Meanwhile, the Dow made another leap the same day, amid early market fears sparked by the coronavirus pandemic emerging at the time.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence were informed of the possible Russian operation.
“The United States receives thousands of intelligence reports a day, and they are subject to strict scrutiny,” McEnany said during a press conference on Saturday.
Trump also claimed that the US information did not inform Pence or the situation, claiming that the US information “did not find this information credible” and called the Times report “possibly another fabricated Russian hoax.”
Russia has also denied the report.
However, three NATO officials told Business Insider that they were informed of the alleged Russian operation.
“We were informed [by the Americans] about a potential threat to our troops in Afghanistan from agents potentially linked to the Russian intelligence services, “said a NATO military intelligence official.” There is no indication that our troops, or any other non-US NATO forces, have been the target of these attacks. , but all NATO services with victims in Afghanistan in the past two years are looking for connections. “
