Donald Trump's tangled web of Russian influence
Donald Trump has had ties to Russia for decades, but they've thickened as his campaign for the White House has progressed.
He's openly admired Russian President Vladimir Putin. And many of his campaign officials have worked with Russian or pro-Russian figures in the past.
We've broken down some of Trump's more significant connections to Russia below.
You May Also Like
A meeting that wasn't
Trump was reportedly scheduled to meet Putin the day before the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow kicked off, though the Russian president called it off at the last second.
Still, Putin sent the American businessman a "warm note," according to The Washington Post, perhaps marking the growth of a rosy relationship.
Budding bromance
Putin and Trump have traded compliments through the media and public forums this U.S. election cycle.
Putin called Trump "an outstanding and talented personality" during his end-of-year press conference in December, and six months later at the Russian Economic Forum called the GOP nominee "bright."
Trump, who has said he thinks he'd have a great presidential relationship, responded to the December kudos in kind by saying it was "a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond."
Trump's son says they make a lot of money from Russia
Donald Trump Jr. opened a small window into his family's financial relationship with Russia at a 2008 real estate conference.
"Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets,” the candidate's son said, according to trade publication eTurboNews. "We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."
The Donald has long wanted to put his stamp on Moscow, where he has tried again and again to build a Trump tower near the center of the city. Plans to do so have repeatedly fallen through.
Email hack
At a press conference in late July, Trump called for Russia to find and publish emails from a private server used by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump said. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”
Many politicians and others were alarmed that Trump would call for a foreign country to become directly involved in the United States' presidential election. He eventually said he was only being "sarcastic."
At the same press conference, Trump suggested he would look into recognizing Crimea -- taken over by Russia in 2014 -- as Russian territory.
Where the campaign manager makes his money
Campaign chairman Paul Manafort, whose role may have faded on Wednesday as Team Trump announced new high-profile staffers, has perhaps the most significant ties to Russia among the candidate's confidantes.
Manafort advised former Ukrainian President and Russian ally Viktor Yanukovych before Yanukovych fled his country amid mass protests, according to The New York Times. And he has been a major player in business deals between immensely wealthy Russian sympathizers.
Though his role may have been lessened by the staffing addition of Breitbart News executive Stephen Bannon, who's now the chief executive of the campaign, the ties to Russia continue.
Back in 2013, Buzzfeed reported that the pro-Russian party of Yanukovych had succeeded in passing off its talking points to conservative news outlets such as Breitbart as the party sought influence in the U.S.
Advisors with links to Moscow
Trump's foreign policy ideas have also been influenced by people with links to Russia.
Retired General Michael Flynn, who has often appeared alongside Trump during the nominee's run for president, sat near Putin at a Moscow dinner in 2015 and spoke of stronger Russia-U.S. cooperation against Iran.
Trump's foreign policy agenda has also been influenced by Carter Page, formerly the head of Merrill Lynch's office in Moscow, according to The Washington Post.
And while the nominee was one among many Republican candidates still vying for the GOP nomination, he sought the help of Michael Caputo, who used to work for a Russian media firm, that sought to brighten Putin's reputation in the U.S.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Topics Donald Trump Elections President
Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
