Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter, shared a photo on Sunday with Wendi Deng Murdoch, ex-wife of Fox News CEO Rupert Murdoch, who is reportedly dating Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two are vacationing in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
“Sight seeing with @wendimurdoch in Dubrovnik,” Ivanka said, posting a photo on Instagram.
Ivanka Trump and Wendi Deng Murdoch have been friends for years. Deng Murdoch even set up Trump with her husband Jared Kushner, according to People magazine. Trump and Kushner apparently traveled to Croatia together without their three children. Deng Murdoch has denied that she is dating Putin. But, as Bloomberg Politics correspondent Jennifer Epstein noted, “Who would confirm that?!”
*reported, purported girlfriend. Murdoch has denied that she and Putin are dating. (Who would confirm that?!) https://t.co/Cunw4ZorUS — Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) August 15, 2016
If Deng Murdoch is indeed Putin’s girlfriend, the timing of this meeting is peculiar. Ivanka’s father, the Republican nominee for president, has repeatedly praised Putin during his campaign. Campaign advisers have ties to Russia, and Gawker’s Brendan O’Connor cited speculation that Trump’s unreleased tax returns would reveal heavy debts owed to Russian business interests.
Such debts are highly speculative, but newly discovered documents from Ukraine reveal more details involving Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s close connections with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The so-called “black ledger” from Yanukovych’s pro-Russian Party of Regions had marked $12.7 million to be paid to Manafort. It is unclear whether Manafort received that full sum, but it is possible he gained the funds through offshore companies.
None of Trump’s Russian connections seem quite so dangerous as Hillary Clinton’s decision to allow Russian businessmen to acquire Uranium One, a Canadian company with uranium-mining stakes stretching from Central Asia to the American West. Clinton allowed the transaction following generous donations to the Clinton Foundation by interested parties and generous speaking sums paid to her husband, former president Bill Clinton.
Nevertheless, they are indeed troubling. It seems, no matter who wins in November, the American president will have close ties to Putin, and the Russian reset will be complete.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member