Trump threatened to 'bomb the s--- out' of Moscow to deter Putin: CNN

President Donald Trump told run donors past twelvemonth that helium had threatened to "bomb the s--- retired of Moscow" if Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, according to a caller report.

Trump astatine the aforesaid donor gathering claimed helium likewise threatened Chinese President Xi Jinping to deter China from invading Taiwan, according to audio obtained by CNN and elaborate successful a forthcoming book, "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America."

"With Putin I said, 'If you spell into Ukraine, I'm going to weaponry the s--- retired of Moscow," Trump told donors astatine the meeting, according to the audio from the May 14, 2024, gathering astatine New York's Pierre Hotel.

" 'I'm telling you I person nary choice,' " Trump recalled saying.

"And past [Putin] goes, like, 'I don't judge you.' But helium believed maine 10%."

Trump said that Xi mostly dismissed Trump's threats against China.

"He thought I was crazy," Trump said, adding that "we ne'er had a problem."

NBC News obtained the audio from the authors of the caller book, Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf.

Trump, who was archetypal president from January 2017 to January 2021, did not accidental connected the audio erstwhile helium made the alleged threats.

Russia invaded Ukraine successful February 2022, erstwhile Joe Biden was president.

A White House spokeswoman, erstwhile asked astir CNN's report, told CNBC connected Wednesday: "As President Trump has said clip and again, Russia ne'er dared invade Ukraine erstwhile helium was successful office. It happened lone erstwhile Biden was successful office."

"Thanks to this President's leadership, America is erstwhile again the person of the escaped world, and bid done spot is restored," the spokeswoman said. "President Trump won connected an America First agenda, and helium is moving hard to instrumentality the mandate the American radical gave him."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said helium "cannot corroborate oregon contradict this, adjacent if I wanted to," erstwhile asked astir the report, according to Reuters.

"Whether it is fake oregon not, we bash not cognize either," Peskov said, adding, "there is simply a batch of fake quality these days."

The audio underscores however Trump often spoke much candidly down closed doors connected the run way arsenic helium tried to woo donors, CNN noted.

Since Trump returned to the White House, helium has ramped up rhetoric criticizing Putin.

On Tuesday, Trump said helium was "not happy" with the Russian person for the warfare against Ukraine.

"He's sidesplitting a batch of radical .... his soldiers and their soldiers, mostly, and it's present up to 7,000 a week," Trump said of Putin during a Cabinet meeting.