Overview

• Trump told Fox & Friends he avoided dialing Vladimir Putin in front of visiting European leaders because he considered that disrespectful to the Russian leader.
• He said he left the multilateral meeting near its end to place the call privately and described Putin as picking up around 1 a.m. local time.
• Trump claimed Putin had gone years without speaking to the White House or to many European leaders and cast himself as maintaining a direct relationship.
• He pointed to what he called a visible “warmth” with Putin during their recent Alaska encounter as evidence of his personal rapport.
• Media coverage noted that his deferential framing toward Putin is politically contentious given allegations over Russia’s conduct in Ukraine.