The Kremlin's interest in Trump apparently dates back to 1987. He first visited Moscow that year, ostensibly to research building two luxury hotels. No sooner did Trump return to New York than he took out full page ads in major newspapers assailing NATO allies for not providing enough for their "common defense," accusing them of being "non-dues paying allies." He went onto question the purpose of NATO and repeated a number of Soviet talking points. It's always been easy to bend Trump's ear, especially if you present your desired aims in a way that is favorable to his interests. He has long seen politics as an extension of his real estate empire, one largely cultivated in his own mind, but substantial enough to attract Soviet and later Russian interest. For decades, Russian oligarchs laundered their ill-gotten gains through his numerous properties, keeping him afloat despite the enormous debt burden he had incurred. As a result, Trump was favorabl...