Woodward's book reveals Trump's conversations with Putin and Biden's private comments about Obama and Netanyahu

WASHINGTON (AP) – Donald Trump made up to seven private phone calls Vladimir Putin Since leaving office, Bob Woodward secretly sent COVID-19 testing equipment to the Russian president at the height of the pandemic, reports in his new book, “War.”

The revelations were made in the famed Watergate reporter's latest book, which also details President Joe Biden's frustrations with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 's range of burner phones. The Associated Press has obtained an advance copy of the book, which is scheduled to be published next week.

Trump denied the reporting in an interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl. “He is a storyteller. A bad thing. And he lost his mind,” Trump said of Woodward.

Trump previously spoke with Woodward for his 2021 book “Rage.” Trump then filed suit, claiming that Woodward never had permission to publicly release recordings of her interviews for the book. The publisher and Woodward denied his allegations.

Here's more from the new book:

Trump has had several conversations with Putin since the end of his term in the White House

Woodward reports that Trump asked an aide to leave his office at his Florida resort. Mar-a-Lagoso that the former president could have a private conversation with Putin in early 2024. The adviser, whom Woodward did not name, said there have been several calls between Trump and Putin since Trump left office, possibly as many as seven, according to the book, although it does not detail what they discussed.

Trump's senior adviser and longtime adviser Jason Miller told Woodward that he had not heard that Trump was on the phone with Putin and said, “I would take action against it.” But according to the book, Miller also said, “I'm sure they would know how they can connect with each other.”

Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, said none of the stories in Woodward's books were true. In a statement Tuesday, he called it “the work of a truly insane and deranged man suffering from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Trump's relationship with Putin has come under scrutiny since his 2016 presidential campaign, when he memorably called on Russia to find and release missing emails that were deleted by Hillary Clintonhis democratic opponent. “Russia, if you are listening, I hope you can find the 30,000 missing emails,” he said.

U.S. intelligence agencies later determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump, despite an investigation by a special counsel Robert Müller found no conspiracy between the Trump team and Russia. In 2018, Trump publicly questioned this finding after a face-to-face meeting with Putin in Helsinki.

In recent years, Trump has criticized U.S. support for Ukraine in repelling the Russian invasion. He has said Ukraine should have made concessions He had previously contacted Putin before Russia's invasion in 2022. He had also previously praised his good relationship with Putin, calling the Russian leader “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine.

Trump sent Putin COVID-19 testing equipment for his personal use

Woodward reports that Trump sent Putin COVID-19 testing equipment for his personal use when the virus began to spread in 2020.

Putin told Trump not to tell anyone because people would be mad at Trump about it, but Trump said he didn't care if anyone knew about it, the book says. In the end, Trump agreed not to tell anyone.

The book does not specify when the machines were shipped, but describes the time when the virus was spreading rapidly in Russia. Previously, The Associated Press and other agencies reported that Trump's administration in May 2020 sent Ventilators and other equipment to several countries, including Russia.

Vice President Kamala Harris, in an interview with radio host Howard Stern on Tuesday, accused Trump of giving the machines to a “murderous dictator” at a time when “everyone was struggling” to get tests.

“This person who wants to be president again, who is secretly helping an opponent while the American people are dying by the hundreds every day,” said Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate.

Biden highlighted the report during a stop in Pennsylvania on Tuesday.

“See what came out today?” Biden said at a fundraiser for Sen. Bob Casey. “So he calls his good friend Putin – no joke – and makes sure he has the tests. He had the tests.”

Biden's anger at Netanyahu has boiled over in private

The book also details Biden's complicated relationship with Netanyahu, as well as private moments when the president grew fed up with him Israel-Hamas war.

Biden’s “frustration and distrust” of Netanyahu “erupted” last spring, Woodward writes. The president privately unleashed a profanity-filled tirade, calling him a “son of a bitch” and a “bad guy,” according to the book. Biden said he felt, according to Woodward's account, that Netanyahu had “regularly lied” to him. While Netanyahu “continued to say he would kill every last member of Hamas.” Woodward wrote: “Biden had told him that was impossible and had threatened both privately and publicly to withhold offensive U.S. arms shipments.”

Biden and Netanyahu have been known for a long time, although their relationship is not considered close or overly friendly. Last week, Biden said he I didn't know if The Israeli leader maintained a Middle East peace deal to influence the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election.

Asked about coverage of the book, White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons told reporters on Tuesday: “The commitment we have to the State of Israel is ironclad.”

When pressed for details, Simons said she would not comment on every anecdote that might come to light in the reporting. She added of Biden and Netanyahu: “They have a long-term relationship. They have a very honest and direct relationship and I cannot comment on these specific anecdotes.”

Biden criticized Obama's handling of the Russian invasion of Crimea

The book describes Biden's criticism late last year of President Barack Obama's handling of Putin's earlier invasion of Ukraine, when Russia seized Crimea and part of Donbass in 2014, at a time when Biden was serving as the Democratic vice president.

“You are failing in 2014,” Woodward wrote, which Biden told a close friend in December, blaming Putin’s actions in Ukraine for a lack of action. “Barack never took Putin seriously.”

Biden was angry as he spoke to the friend, saying they “should never have just let Putin go in there” in 2014 and that the U.S. “did nothing.”

Biden regrets choosing Garland as attorney general

Woodward reports that Biden was privately angry with Attorney General Merrick Garland Appointment of a special advisor to investigate Biden's son Hunter in a tax and weapons case.

“Never should have chosen Garland,” Biden told an aide, according to Woodward. The journalist did not give the name of the employee.

Hunter Biden was sentenced in June on federal firearms charges and faces sentencing in December in federal court in Delaware. He pleaded guilty convicted in California on federal tax charges and is scheduled to be sentenced in that case, also in December.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

Graham says a trip to Mar-a-Lago is “a bit like a trip to North Korea”

One of Trump's longtime allies, the South Carolina senator. Lindsey Grahamblamed Trump's persistent false claims that the 2020 election was rooted in a cult of personality in which the former president's stay at Mar-a-Lago and a circle of aides and advisers “constantly feed this narrative,” the book said .

The weekend after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Graham was with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which the senator described as “a bit like a trip to North Korea.” Graham added: “Every time Trump comes in, everyone stands up and claps.”

On politics, Woodward wrote that Graham's lawyer helped convince Trump to run for president again.

In March, during one of his many visits to the Middle East since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Graham told Woodward that he was meeting with the Saudi crown prince when Graham suggested he call Trump. From “a bag of about 50 burner phones,” Prince Mohammed pulled out “one marked 'TRUMP 45.'” On another trip, Woodward wrote, the Saudi leader pulled out another burner phone, “this time marked JAKE SULLIVAN ” as the men called Biden’s national security adviser.

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Price reported from New York. Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York, Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, and Aamer Madhani aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.