Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Monday suggested that President Donald Trump is being driven crazy as special counsel Robert Mueller examines potential business transactions between the Trump Organization and foreign governments.

Reacting to the latest revelations that Russian officials had directly reached out to former Trump “fixer” Michael Cohen all the way back in 2015 to discuss political “synergy” with the president’s campaign, Steele said he wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Trump’s dealings with Russia went back even further.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The thing about the Russia piece, it’s all about the financing,” Steele said. “Donald Trump Jr. himself said, ‘How do you think we financed our golf courses? How do you think we financed these big projects?’ It was the Russians.”

Trump Jr. in 2008 admitted publicly that Russians “make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets” when it came to financing real estate projects, and Eric Trump reportedly admitted in 2014 that Russians were responsible for financing new Trump-branded golf courses.

In addition to Trump’s ties to Russia, Steele suggested that Saudi Arabia could also be assisting the president’s businesses with hefty spending at his hotels.

“There are two countries where the president’s approach to foreign policy makes absolutely zero sense,” host Stephanie Ruhle interjected, referring to Russia and Saudi Arabia. “And it’s the two countries with business ties.”

Steele agreed and suggested that Mueller has been working to dig up the goods on what those ties are.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Mueller is on this like a dog on a bone,” said Steele. “And it’s driving Trump nuts.”

Watch the video below.