Elizabeth Graham Warns of Trump's Ties to Russia and the Erosion of American Democracy

In a recent Substack post, bestselling author Elizabeth Graham, an authority on the Trump-Putin relationship, issued a stark warning about the state of American democracy. Drawing on nearly twenty years living and working in Russia, Central Asia, and Ukraine, Graham argues that the United States has "succumbed to the tyranny and despotism of one man and a small group who holds absolute and unrestricted power and who is controlled by our enemy."

Graham, author of the book "From Democracy To Democrazy: A Warning To All Americans," invokes the ancient Roman statesman Cicero, who warned that "a nation cannot survive treason from within." She asserts that many Americans fail to recognize Trump as a traitor, a phenomenon she attributes to sophisticated propaganda techniques that Russia has employed for decades. She writes, "As many Republicans cling to the party rhetoric, they are unknowingly persuaded by propaganda techniques used 100 years ago in Russia."

According to Graham, Trump's relationship with Russia began with promises of business opportunities and was cemented through kompromat, including underage prostitution at a Moscow nightclub she claims her daughter witnessed. She points to specific policy actions that benefit Russia: removing U.S. troops from Germany, undermining NATO, and closing USAID. The closure of USAID, she argues, has dire consequences. Citing reports from The Lancet and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, she writes that "approximately 22 million preventable deaths are predicted by 2030 directly due to the closing of USAID in Africa. The majority of these deaths are children."

Graham also details financial ties between Trump and Russian interests. She notes that Russian organized crime in the U.S. earns $3 billion annually from gambling and drug distribution, money laundered through Trump condos (citing The Guardian). Trump's net worth has increased by $2 billion in the last year (Forbes), and his sons have verified that Russians deposited $100 million in Trump Organization accounts when he faced bankruptcy (Vanity Fair, Business Insider).

Graham warns that Trump is transforming the U.S. government into a reflection of Kremlin operations, and she predicts he may attempt to stay in power beyond 2028, similar to Putin. "I will not be surprised when Trump attempts this same malicious deception in 2028," she writes. Her book has received praise from Kirkus Reviews as "an intriguing and informative 'must read' from a woman who is probably the best-informed American on the terrifying realities concerning Vladimir Putin's motivations and his control over Trump."