BREAKING: Hillary Clinton says she still believes Putin has photos or videos on Trump, and calls him Putin’s willing puppet
Former U.S. Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has reiterated her belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin holds compromising material on Donald Trump, renewing her sharp characterization of the president as an accommodating instrument of Kremlin interests.
Appearing on the podcast On with Kara Swisher during a segment of the High Stakes audio series, Clinton asserted that personal leverage continues to drive Trump’s foreign policy approach toward Moscow:
“I continue to believe that Putin has something on Trump,” Clinton stated. “I continue to believe that he has photos, videosโwhatever it may be.”
Revisiting a defining rhetorical exchange from the 2016 presidential debate, Clinton doubled down on her original description of Trump:
“Yes, a puppet. He’s Putin’s willing puppet who helps Putin,” she said, arguing that the president’s posture reflects a transactional deference designed to keep Moscow satisfied.
Clinton claimed that Putin’s strategic ambitions extend far beyond the borders of Ukraine and described what she views as Trumpโs geopolitical framework: dividing global control into distinct spheres of influence, where Washington dominates the Western Hemisphere, Moscow oversees Russia and Europe, and Beijing, under Chinese President Xi Jinping, directs the remainder.
She also connected her suspicions to sealed records surrounding the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, pointing to Trumpโs longstanding opposition to releasing the remaining files. Clinton maintained that a complete disclosure of the documents would cause widespread fallout across the political landscape, asserting that even Trumpโs most loyal supporters would be surprised by their contents.
The remarks come amid deepening friction surrounding diplomatic overtures toward Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that outside pressure urging Kyiv to reach a rapid settlement risks compelling Ukraine into territorial capitulation, characterizing any policy shift favoring Moscow as a grave geopolitical mistake. White House officials have repeatedly rejected claims that U.S. policy aligns with Russian objectives, stating that foreign policy initiatives remain strictly focused on American strategic interests.
Clinton did not present physical records or corroborating intelligence during the podcast, framing her statements as an assessment of Trump’s diplomatic actions and an extension of her longstanding critique of his foreign policy.
