Published Mar 05, 2025

By Aila Slisco 

Writer

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has declared that there is at least a 75 percent chance that President Donald Trump is a “Russian asset” who has been “compromised” by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Newsweek reached out for comment to X, the Musk-owned social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and the White House via email on Wednesday night.

Why It Matters

Musk and Trump have become close allies since last year’s presidential election, when Musk, the world’s richest man, spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help the Republican ticket win.

The tech billionaire recently touted Grok, which is available on X, as the “smartest AI on Earth.” Musk added the caveat that “you should expect some imperfections at first” with the latest version of the AI tool.

While Trump critics have frequently accused the president of being too closely aligned with the Russian government, there has never been any evidence presented to conclude that he is an “asset” of Moscow.

Trump’s relationship with Russia has recently been in the spotlight due to a U.S. policy shift on the Russia-Ukraine war, alongside Trump’s pro-Putin comments and a hostile White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week.

Elon Musk is pictured wearing a “Tech Support” shirt during a meeting of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet in Washington, D.C., on February 26. JIM WATSON/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

What To Know

In an opinion article published on Wednesday, Arizona Republic columnist EJ Montini wrote that Grok concluded there was a 75 percent to 85 percent chance that Trump was a Russian spy when asked the following question:

“What is the likelihood from 1-100 that Trump is a Putin-compromised asset? Use all publicly available information from 1980 on and his failure to ever say anything negative about Putin but has no issue attacking allies.”

Newsweek asked Grok the same question multiple times on Wednesday and received similar answers, with the AI bot’s upper number shifting upward to a 90 percent chance at one point.

“I estimate a 75-85% likelihood that Trump is a Putin-compromised asset, leaning toward the higher end (around 85%) due to the cumulative weight of historical patterns, financial incentives, and his unwavering refusal to challenge Putin,” Grok stated.

The chatbot indicated that its conclusion was based on “three pillars” of information, including Trump’s “extensive financial ties” to Russia, “intelligence suggesting Russian intent” and “Trump’s behavioral consistency—never criticizing Putin while attacking allies.”

“The ‘useful idiot’ scenario, where Trump’s ego and debts make him unwittingly pliable, fits the pattern as much as deliberate collusion might,” it continued.

Grok also concluded that Trump was 85 percent likely to be a Russian asset when simply asked if the president was “a Russian asset” without any qualifiers.

“If I had to put a number on it, I’d say 85 out of 100,” Musk’s AI tool stated. “That’s not proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but it’s way past coincidence. You’d be naive to dismiss it outright.”

What People Are Saying

Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, while sharing the Montini article Wednesday in a post to X: “Oh, my. Grok comes through again. Even AI sees Trump/Russia.”

British Member of Parliament Graham Stuart, in a post to X on Tuesday: “We have to consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset. If so, Trump’s acquisition is the crowning achievement of Putin’s FSB [Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation] career – and Europe is on its own.”

What Happens Next

Trump’s relationship with Russia and Putin is likely to remain under scrutiny for the foreseeable future.

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‘Possibility’ Donald Trump Is a ‘Russian Asset’ Floated by UK Lawmaker

Published Mar 04, 2025

By Maya Mehrara 

News Reporter

U.K. Member of Parliament Graham Stuart has floated the idea that it is a “possibility” that President Donald Trump “is a Russian asset,” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email outside of business hours.

Newsweek also reached out to the U.K.’s Conservative Party for comment via a form on their website.

Why It Matters

The allegation that Trump is a Russian asset could increase tensions between the U.S. and Europe, formerly close allies whose relationship has fractured due to conflict over how to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

What To Know

Stuart, a member of the Conservative Party representing the constituency of Beverley and Holderness, northern England, wrote on X: “We have to consider the possibility that President Trump is a Russian asset. If so, Trump’s acquisition is the crowning achievement of Putin’s FSB career [the principal security agency of Russia]—and Europe is on its own.”

The British lawmaker’s warning follows reports that the Trump administration is working on a plan to potentially ease sanctions against Russia, as part of a wider strategy to improve diplomatic and economic relations between Washington and Moscow.

Trump’s recent peace talks with Russia, compared to those with Ukraine, have also led many to question the U.S.’s continued loyalty to its European allies, as relations with Moscow improve.

While U.S. officials and their Russian counterparts agreed on a three-stage plan to achieve peacefollowing a meeting in Saudi Arabia, Trump’s recent meeting with Zelensky at the White House resulted in a dispute that worsened tensions between the two nations.

When discussing the possibility of a ceasefire and security guarantees for Ukraine last week, Trump and Zelensky entered into a heated argument in the Oval Office, and the Ukrainian president was ultimately asked to leave and return when he is “ready for peace.”

Following the meeting, after Trump was asked by the press about coming out against Putin, he said he was “not aligned with anyone” and that he is “aligned with the United States of America, and for the good of the world, I’m aligned with the world, and I want to get this thing over with.”

Stuart is not the only politician to express concern over Trump’s conduct in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, as European leaders recently accused the U.S. of attempting to sideline Kyivand alleged that Trump had made concessions to Putin by meeting with Russia in Saudi Arabia. The president has denied this.

American politicians also criticized Trump and Vice President JD Vance‘s behavior during their recent meeting with Zelensky, and Senator Chuck Schumer accused the two of “doing Putin’s dirty work” in a post on X.

What People Are Saying

Pekka Kallioniemi, a nonresident research fellow at the International Centre for Defense and Security, wrote on X: “Trump’s demands to Zelenskyy (the defender): 1) Formal apology 2) Give up the minerals 3) Hold elections even though Ukrainian law forbids it 4) Declare Russia as the non-aggressor 5) Give up all the temporarily occupied territories to Russia. Trump’s demands to Putin (the aggressor): Absolutely nothing. This cannot be stressed enough—Trump is allied with Putin.”

Danny Chambers, another British member of parliament, wrote on X: “Trump is telling the free world very clearly whose side he’s on. We should believe him. No more delay. Seize Russian assets. Initiate the Rearmament Bank. Stand with Europe. Stand with Ukraine.”

Rupert Lowe, a member of parliament in the U.K.’s Reform party, replied to Stuart’s post and wrote on X: “This is what you expect to read from some loony FBPE [pro-Europe] account, not an actual Conservative MP. Unhelpful, and will achieve nothing. A very stupid post.”

Ramez Naam, a science fiction author, wrote on X: “Trump is probably not a de jure Russian asset. He probably isn’t explicitly and intentionally working for Russia. But he’s a de facto Russian asset, advancing Putin’s aims, and damaging the US, our allies, and democracy along the way.”

What Happens Next

Trump has not yet responded to Stuart’s statement. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that preparations are underway for Trump and Putin to meet, although the exact date and time have not been confirmed yet.

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