Leaked audio recordings from Donald Trump’s private fundraisers reveal a chaotic and explosive behind-the-scenes look at the president. In the tapes—recorded during events in Florida and New York—Trump brags about threatening world leaders, calls for the deportation of student protesters, and boasts about pressuring a billionaire into handing over a $25 million donation.
The recordings, obtained by reporters Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf and aired by CNN, show Trump speaking freely and aggressively in front of wealthy donors during his 2024 campaign.
“I’m gonna bomb the s–-t out of Moscow”
At one fundraiser, Trump claimed he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to invade Ukraine by threatening massive retaliation.
“With Putin, I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m gonna bomb the s–-t out of Moscow,’” Trump told the crowd. “‘I’m telling you, I have no choice—the public.’ So he goes like, ‘I don’t believe you.’ He said, ‘No way.’ And I said, ‘Way.’”
Trump said Putin believed him “10 percent,” adding, “Ten percent is all you need. In fact, five percent would have been okay, too.”
The threat wasn’t an isolated case. Trump said he gave the same warning to Chinese President Xi Jinping over Taiwan.
“I said, you know, ‘If you go into Taiwan, I’m gonna bomb the s–-t out of Beijing.’ He thought I was crazy,” Trump recalled. “‘Beijing?! You’re gonna bomb—’ I said, ‘I have no choice. I got to bomb you.’”
He claimed Xi also believed him “10 percent.” “And we never had a problem,” Trump said.
These claims offer a rare, blunt look at what Trump describes as his personal diplomacy—one based on threats, unpredictability, and brute force.
Cracking Down on Protesters
Trump didn’t just talk tough about foreign leaders. He also laid into student protesters, specifically those demonstrating against the war in Gaza.
“One thing I’d do is any student that protests, I would throw them out of the country,” Trump said, drawing applause from the room. “Those people made a big mistake. Throw them out of the country, and I think that will stop it.”
He promised a full-blown crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism if re-elected: “If you get me elected, we will set that movement back 25 to 30 years.”
Since returning to office, his administration has already started targeting international students involved in Gaza protests.
Hardball With Billionaire Donors
Trump also boasted about how he squeezed a massive donation out of a billionaire who wanted to meet with him.
“He wants to have lunch with me over a million dollars,” Trump said. “I said, ‘You’re worth five or six billion dollars, you’re talking about a million dollars, and I got to have lunch? I’m not having lunch. You got to make it 25 million.’”
According to Trump, the donor said it sounded like a lot—then paid it. “He did it. He gave me 25 million dollars. It’s crazy,” Trump said.
The Trump White House declined to comment on the recordings.
Watch the CNN report below:
