Trump’s Business Tried to Broker a ‘Massive’ Trump Tower Deal in Russia While Trump Was Running for President

Trump the Business Was Pursuing Moscow Trump Tower Deal While Trump the Candidate Was Pursuing Presidency

Donald Trump’s real estate business was working to put together a deal for a “massive” Trump Tower in Russia even as candidate Donald Trump was running for president.

The Washington Post reports on the stunning conflict, explaining that “the details of the deal, which have not previously been disclosed, provide evidence that Trump’s business was actively pursuing significant commercial interests in Russia at the same time he was campaigning to be president — and in a position to determine U.S.-Russia relations.”

The Trump organization got far enough to sign a letter of intent but land and permits got in the way and the project was abandoned by the end of January 2016.

Months later, in the summer as Trump’s Russia ties became big news, Trump would post this tweet:

One day later, Trump would tell reporters, “I have nothing to do with Russia.”

Before the deal crumbled, “Trump voiced numerous supportive comments about Putin, setting himself apart from his Republican rivals for the nomination.”

By the end of 2015, Putin began offering praise in return.

“He says that he wants to move to another, closer level of relations. Can we really not welcome that? Of course, we welcome that,” Putin told reporters during his annual end-of-the year news conference. He called Trump a “colorful and talented” person. Trump said afterward that the compliment was an “honor.”

The deal itself would have been a total win for Trump, presumably requiring no cash investment: it was a licensing deal where he would be paid to allow his name to be put on a Trump Tower in Moscow, while others shouldered the burden of financing and building the project.

Trump’s attempts to establish Trump properties go back to 1987, the Post reports.

Recently, Trump buildings in New York City and Canada have had Trump’s name removed from the properties, out of embarrassment and a desire to distance themselves from the U.S. president and his behavior and policies. 

UPDATE: ABC News reports Cohen confirmed Donald Trump personally signed a letter of intention to move forward with the Trump Tower Moscow project, four months after he had begun campaigning for president.

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Image by Daniel Huizinga via Flickr and a CC license