In his upcoming memoir, At War With Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster sheds light on how Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated former President Donald Trump using his ego and insecurities.
A Hypnotic Influence
The book, set to be released on August 27 by HarperCollins, details McMaster’s 457-day tenure under Trump, highlighting the complex and troubling relationship between the U.S. President and the Russian leader, according to Digi24.
McMaster recounts how Putin exerted an almost “hypnotic” influence over Trump, who refused to acknowledge any negative assessments of the Russian leader from his own staff.
This dynamic played a significant role in McMaster's eventual dismissal, as Trump became increasingly resistant to advice that contradicted his favorable view of Putin.
A Calculated Effort
One striking example McMaster describes is the aftermath of the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the U.K., an attack widely attributed to Russian agents.
While other Western leaders were formulating a strong response, Trump was more concerned with a newspaper article praising him, reportedly instructing McMaster to send the article to Putin. McMaster intervened, fearing that Putin would use it to further mock and undermine Trump.
According to McMaster, Putin’s flattery was a calculated effort to exploit Trump’s vulnerabilities, creating a rift between the President and his advisors, who were pushing for a tougher stance against Russia.
McMaster's memoir portrays Trump as overly confident in his ability to build a positive relationship with Putin, despite the advice of foreign policy experts who urged caution.
