Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.) said in an interview Monday that the most salacious rumors about President Donald Trump’s connections to Russia might be true.
BuzzFeed News editor in chief Ben Smith asked Merkley whether he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin had incriminating information on Trump, and Merkley said it was likely. He explained that Russia commonly spies on important people who visit the country to acquire compromising material about them.
"It’s a standard strategy of Russia when people visit there who are important to try to get compromising information on them, to set them up with hookers, to tape everything that goes on in their room, so it is likely that they have that," Merkley said.
The details Merkley offers seem to refer to the rumored "pee tape" Russia supposedly has showing Trump with prostitutes urinating on a bed in Moscow, as described in research firm Fusion GPS’s notorious dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.
Merkley's response prompted Smith to ask specifically about the rumored graphic tape.
"To put this into terms that Twitter can understand, your view is that the pee tape is real?" Smith asked.
"Something close to that," Merkley answered. "Something close to that."
The existence of the so-called pee tape is one of many unverified rumors in the Steele dossier, which was funded by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
The Washington Free Beacon employed Fusion GPS for political opposition research during the presidential primary campaign but had no involvement in the Steele dossier. For more information, see here.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) echoed Merkley's charge that the Russians have dirt on Trump in a tweet Monday during Trump's joint press conference with Putin.
"Every single day, I find myself asking: what do the Russians have on @realDonaldTrump personally, financially, & politically?" she said. "The answer to that question is that only thing that explains his behavior & his refusal to stand up to Putin."
Every single day, I find myself asking: what do the Russians have on @realDonaldTrump personally, financially, & politically? The answer to that question is that only thing that explains his behavior & his refusal to stand up to Putin. #ABetterDeal
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) July 16, 2018
Merkley argued Trump’s behavior indicates he is hiding something.
"Trump clearly wants to convey that there is absolutely nothing there," Merkley said. "But if there’s absolutely nothing there, then why are so many people under indictment? How come a number of people have pled guilty? Why is there so much information about so many contacts with his campaign?"
He also explained Trump’s associates have connections to Russia that he thinks special counsel Robert Mueller is digging into.
"There are many members of Trump’s team that had different types of communication with Russia that are probably uncomfortable, and we may find out from Mueller, far beyond uncomfortable," Merkley said.
Updated 1:46 P.M.: This post was updated to include comments by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.