CNN has revealed an exclusive audio recording of U.S. President Donald Trump, taken from a fundraising event for his 2024 election campaign, in which he spoke with striking candour about his positions on the wars in Ukraine and Taiwan, as well as his policy toward immigrants and student protesters — exposing a tone far more aggressive than the one he uses publicly.
Direct Threat to Putin: “I Will Bomb Moscow”
According to the previously unaired recording, Trump told donors at the private event that he had threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with bombing Moscow if Russia invaded Ukraine. “I told Putin: If you enter Ukraine, I will bomb Moscow. I have no other choice,” he said.
He added, “Putin told me he didn’t believe me… but he believed me about ten percent.”
According to Trump’s account, he used the same hardline threat with Chinese President Xi Jinping to deter an invasion of Taiwan, saying, “I told Xi: If you do that, we’ll bomb Beijing,” then added jokingly, “He thought I was crazy… I never had a problem with him again.”
The leaked recording is part of a series of tapes obtained by three prominent American journalists — Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf — whose details are published in their new book, 2024, which documents the inner workings of Trump’s election campaign.
The recording reveals a hidden side of the president’s persona, as he speaks openly behind closed doors to win over wealthy donors, using a tone filled with confidence and threats, promoting what he called a “deterrent and decisive” foreign policy.
Anger at Putin and Mockery of Biden
While Trump continues to attack former President Joe Biden’s administration for “failing to contain the wars in Ukraine and Gaza,” he expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Putin in a private session with his aides, saying:
“I’m not happy with Putin. Very upset with him. He dodges a lot.”
He boasted to donors that if he were president, these wars would never have started, insisting he was able to deter both Moscow and Beijing through what he described as a policy of “rational threat.”
“Expel Them from the Country”
Among the most controversial statements in the recordings, Trump pledged that he would expel protesting students from the United States if he won a second term. He said during one closed-door gathering, “One thing I will do is expel any student who protests from the country… They made a huge mistake. Expel them.”
His remarks came in the context of criticising the pro-Palestine student demonstrations that have escalated on U.S. campuses in recent months, especially as Israel’s war on Gaza continues. It appears Trump aimed to use these positions to convince pro-Israel donors of his resolve to impose “order” on American universities.
Financial Manoeuvre to Woo Billionaires
On the financial side, Trump recounted moments when he negotiated with major donors, boasting about his ability to raise enormous sums, and pointing to an incident where he convinced one donor to raise his contribution from one million to twenty-five million dollars in exchange for lunch with him: “I told him: A million dollars? That’s not enough. Then I said: Twenty-five million? And he did it. He gave me twenty-five million. It’s insane!”
He claimed he succeeded in persuading many businessmen to donate more than they originally planned, saying, “Donors love someone who negotiates with them fiercely.” He added, “You have to be brave to ask for donations. It’s a donor’s mentality.”
In a speech infused with a tone of racism and classism, Trump argued that Democrats enjoy an unfair advantage because “people who rely on welfare will always vote for them,” while also fiercely criticising unions and civil servants.
He delivered a direct message to his audience, saying, “The one thing I would tell my Jewish friends: You must urge them to vote Republican.”
“We’ll Turn Back the Clock 30 Years”
Trump concluded one of his speeches with his favourite slogan about restoring “America’s greatness,” telling donors: “If you help me win, we’ll take this movement back 25 to 30 years… and we’ll take our country back.”
The leaked recordings reveal Trump’s style in addressing America’s financial elite — a style that mixes threats, bravado, and attacks on opponents. As much as these statements raise concerns among observers, they also highlight Trump’s continued approach of employing force and dominance as central elements of his political rhetoric, both in foreign policy and domestic affairs.
