Pelosi on reported bounties on US troops: ‘I don’t know what the Russians have on the president’

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that she doesn’t know “what the Russians have on” President Trump but suggested that information influenced his administration’s response to U.S. intelligence that Russia offered bounties on American troops in Afghanistan.

Pelosi said on ABC’s “This Week” that Trump “wants to ignore any allegation against Russia” after the White House denied a Friday New York Times report that he and Vice President Pence were briefed on the bounties. The president in a tweet early Sunday also denied he had been told about the reported bounties. 

The Times report, citing White House officials, said Trump and Pence were briefed that Russian operatives offered payments to Taliban-linked militants in Afghanistan to kill coalition forces, including U.S. troops. It also said the National Security Council held a meeting on the subject in March.

“This is as bad as it gets, and yet the president will not confront the Russians on this score, denies being briefed,” Pelosi said on Sunday.

“I don’t know what the Russians have on the president, politically, personally, financially or whatever it is, but he wants to ignore, he wants to bring them back to the [Group of Eight] despite the annexation of Crimea and invasion of Ukraine,” she added. 

If U.S. intelligence officials were aware of the bounties and Trump was not briefed, “what does that say about the concern that those who briefed the president have about not going anywhere near the Russia issue with this president?” Pelosi asked

“Whether he is or not, his administration knows,” Speaker Pelosi says as White House denies Trump was briefed.

“With him all roads lead to Putin … I don’t know what the Russians have on the president politically, personally, financially or whatever.” https://t.co/rq4b7S2nbP pic.twitter.com/VV8ceO00x0

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 28, 2020

When pressed on her claims that Russia has information on the president, she said, “How … else would you explain his refusal to even — to ignore again and again the intelligence that puts right at the Russian doorstep?”

“Now he’s saying this is fake news,” she added. “Why would he say that? Why wouldn’t he say, let’s look into it and see what this is?”

Pressed by @GStephanopoulos on her comments and whether she believes the Russians “have” something on President Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to deny it: “How else would you explain his refusal to even — to ignore again and again the intelligence.” https://t.co/rq4b7S2nbP pic.twitter.com/8OTw9ULZdg

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 28, 2020