Donald Trump’s 2007 ‘Fan Letter’ To Vladimir Putin Revealed In Senate Intelligence Report

The Senate Intelligence Committee report released on Tuesday revealed a “fan letter” that Donald Trump wrote to Vladimir Putin in 2007, Raw Story reported.

“Dear President Putin,” the letter read. “Congratulations on being named Time magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ — you definitely deserve it. As you probably have heard, I am a big fan of yours! Take care of yourself. With best wishes, Donald Trump.”

As noted by Forbes, Trump signed the letter with a thick marker, which he also used to underline the words, “I am a big fan of yours!”

Trump’s relationship with Putin has been a focal point of his presidency. Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections found that there was no coordination between Trump’s campaign and Russia, although it concluded that the Kremlin engaged in sweeping intervention.

The president has pursued several real estate projects in Russia, including one outlined in his 1987 bestseller, The Art of the Deal. More recently, he reportedly attempted to secure a Moscow real estate deal while running for office in 2016.

In an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, Carl P. Leubsdorf examined the relationship between the pair of world leaders, which he called “dangerous.” According to Leubsdorf, Putin wants Trump re-elected due to the latter’s purported forgiveness of his operations designed to destabilize the West and stir chaos.

In regards to Trump’s affinity for Putin, the writer speculated that he wants to bring the United States closer to the Kremlin. The journalist pointed to the president’s past visits to Moscow — one which involved the previously mentioned push for property in the region — as well as the businessman’s comment in 1984 when he suggested he wanted to lead the U.S.-Russia nuclear arms race negotiations.

“One day, this mystery will likely be solved. The world will learn if Trump’s motivation was his decades-long desire for closer U.S.-Russian ties or something else,” Leubsdorf concluded the piece.

“Meanwhile, his sensitivity toward anything involving Russia continues to affect U.S. policy to a dangerous degree, something that could increase if an unfettered Trump wins a second term.”

MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner previously claimed that Trump’s approach to Putin at the Russia–United States summit in Helsinki, Finland, could lead to charges for the crime of accessory after the fact.

Others have been critical of Russia-related accusations against the U.S. leader and have pointed to faults in the investigation into the links between the Kremlin and his 2016 campaign, which was allegedly partly fueled by Russian disinformation.