The topic of Vladimir Putin came up again in this debate and, while Donald Trump sought to separate himself a bit from the Russian leader, he also explained why a closer alliance with Putin could make strategic sense.

Trump, before and after the publication of Volume 5, persistently defended Putin. In 2018, two years before the report was issued, Trump rejected the conclusions drawn by his own top intelligence appointees, including Mike Pompeo, then director of the C.I.A., and Dan Coats, director of national intelligence.

President Donald Trump said he is considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO after allies declined to support his approach to the Iran conflict.