Trump/Russia


“Seth is a first-rate reporter and wonderful story-teller, and the tale he tells here is mind-boggling.”
—Jane Mayer, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Dark Money

“Seth Hettena has written a history of the president’s dealings with Russia that reads like a page-turning mob thriller.”
—Charles Kaiser in The Guardian

“Seth Hettena … lays out the entire labyrinth of ties Trump has long had with the Russian mafia in New York, and with the Russian government itself. His essential insight is that there is no clear distinction between the two.”
—Andrew Sullivan in the Times Literary Supplement

“Seth Hettena skillfully weaves many threads—most fresh or previously hidden—into a rich tapestry tying together decades of Donald Trump’s deep involvement with Russia.”
—David Cay Johnston, author of the New York Times bestseller The Making of Donald Trump

“Hettena’s book in particular is important for grasping the global reach and the contemporary political impact of Russian organized crime… Today, that lens is even more important as the economic and political activities of Russian organized criminals reverberate across the globe, especially to London, Spain, and the tangled world of the American president..”
—Professor Louise Shelley, founder and director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at George Mason University, in War on the Rocks

“If you wish to wade deep in the dealings between Trump World and Russian investors, Hettena follows the dirty money.”
—Carlos Lozada in The Washington Post

“A succinct history of Donald Trump’s numerous links to Russia. … Hettena’s worrying conclusion is that Trump is so indebted to Russia that there is no telling where his own influence ends and Putin’s begins.”
—Mitch Mott in The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia)

Trump / Russia: The Definitive History

Available from Melville House


Uncovering the full, shocking history behind Donald Trump’s decades-long involvement with Russia

As Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the relationship between members of Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives continues, there is growing evidence that Trump has spent decades cultivating corrupt ties to Russians and the post-Soviet state.

In Trump/Russia: A Definitive History, I chronicle the many years Trump has spent wooing Russian money and power. From the collapse of his casino empire—which left Trump desperate for cash—and his first contacts with Russian deal-makers and financiers, on up to the White House, I reveal the myriad of shady people, convoluted dealings, and strange events that suggest how indebted to Russia our forty-fifth president might be.

As the story unfolds beyond the publication of my book, I’ll be writing here with further thoughts and observations. For any publicity inquiries, please contact publicity@mhpbooks.com


Interview with Don Lemon on CNN Tonight, November 30, 2018

Interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, May 8, 2018