Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director who was fired by Donald Trump in 2018, has said he believes the former US president can be viewed as a Russian asset, though not in the traditional sense of an active agent.
Speaking on the One Decision podcast, McCabe said Trump's interactions with Vladimir Putin 'raise significant questions'. The comments came ahead of Tuesday's debate in which Trump declined to say a Ukrainian victory was in US interests, instead calling for a negotiated settlement.
During the debate, Kamala Harris hit back at Trump's claims of good relations with Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, arguing that the Russian leader would 'eat you for lunch'. She also highlighted the importance of supporting Ukraine to prevent further Russian aggression in Europe.
McCabe, who briefly served as acting FBI director during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, expressed 'very serious concerns' about a potential second Trump term. He noted Russia's long-standing efforts to sow chaos and division in US politics.
The former FBI official added that while none of the possibilities regarding Trump's relationship with Russia have been proven, as an intelligence officer, these are the questions that must be considered.
