Morning Joe panelist goes off and accuses Trump of being owned by Putin because he's broke
President Donald Trump's manner with Russian leader Vladimir Putin was in contrast to the anger he flashed at NATO allies. (AFP / Brendan Smialowski)

"Morning Joe" regular Donny Deutsch went off on a rant on Donald Trump on Thursday morning, saying the president continually takes the side of the Russians because he is a failed businessman who needs their cash to prop up his business ventures.


Speaking with hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Deutsch -- a former friend of Trump's -- used reports that the Russians are inserting themselves into Syrian areas abandoned the U.S. on the president's orders as a jumping off point.

"He lies on TV, he leaves democratic allies abandoned, he plays dumb when confronted with a budding scandal that has grown up all around him. and all roads may lead to Vladimir Putin as it pertains to Donald Trump's overriding policy," host Scarborough suggested leading to an eventual diatribe by Deutsch.

"Make no mistake because it's easy to forget, let's not forget it, " Deutsch explained. "This is all about failed casinos. He is owned by Putin because he's been laundering money, Russian money, for the last 20, 30 years. He's owned by them, that's what this is."

"You talk to any banker in New York, any businessperson in New York, any real estate person in port, we have a president that's selling out our military that's costing lives because he is owned by our geopolitical enemy because he's been laundering money for him as a criminal organization for the last 30 years," he insisted. "That will come out in time."

"That is speculation and only speculation right now," host Scarborough cautioned. "I will say that it is speculation among New York bankers who have loaned Donald Trump money in the past and who have been following his business career for 30, 40 years."

"But I think we all will be absolutely fascinated when we finally figure out what Vladimir Putin has on Donald Trump and why Donald Trump has surrendered the Middle East, helped ISIS, helped Iran, helped Russia, helped Turkey, helped all of our enemies and betrayed all of our allies," the MSNBC continued. "You know, a lot of people think that it's -- that he has compromising pictures or something happened in a hotel in Russia years ago. No, it goes back to money. It's always about money."

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