Peter Strzok Tells Chuck Todd That ‘Russians Have Leverage Over’ Trump and ‘Are Able To Influence His Actions’

As the election draws closer, it appears that many in the media are pulling out all the stops to discredit President Trump. Chuck Todd and his show Meet the Press is the latest to give former FBI counter intelligence agent Peter Strzok a platform after he has released a new book.

It was a privilege to talk with @maddow, who has a deep and nuanced understanding of Russia’s compromise of @realDonaldTrump and their ongoing threat to our democracy. https://t.co/F7unaHpkdz

— Peter Strzok (@petestrzok) September 11, 2020

Strzok was in charge of the Russia investigation and was “dismissed from his role for sending a personal anti-Trump text to a colleague with whom he was having an affair,” as Todd candidly pointed out prior to the interview.

Todd asked Strzok to lay out his case for why he believes “President Trump is compromised.” Strzok responded that he believes that the president is still compromised and that “Russians Have Leverage Over” Trump and “Are Able To Influence His Actions.”

From The Hill:

One of the largest ways that people in foreign governments gain leverage, certainly in the case of the president, is through financial entanglements,” he added. “And I think when you take a look at the Trump financial enterprise, particularly its relationship with Russian, with Russian monies and potentially those related to organized crime and other elements, that those interactions have placed him in a position where the Russians have leverage over him and are able to influence his actions.”

Todd also questioned Strzok about the text messages between himself and FBI attorney Lisa Page, with whom he had an affair. Todd asked Strzok whether he blamed himself for “putt[ing] [himself] in a compromising position” or whether he believed he was treated unfairly.

 “I certainly regret sending the text messages that were absolutely weaponized and used to bludgeon the work of the FBI, the work of the special counsel, I’ll always regret that,” Strzok conceded.

However, he claimed that “the way that those were weaponized” was part of an ongoing pattern of the Trump administration purging dissenters.

“Whether it is in the impeachment hearings with regard to Ukraine, the whistleblower, or anybody in any number of federal government agencies — if somebody dares speak the truth about this administration, this administration has shown no boundaries in going after people in ways that frankly is shocking, are shocking and are inappropriate,” he said.