Donald Trump was so eager to have Vladimir Putin attend the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow that he wrote a personal letter to the Russian president inviting him to the event, multiple people familiar with the document said.
At the bottom of the typed letter, the future U.S. president scrawled a postscript adding that he looked forward to seeing "beautiful" women during his trip.
Trump's letter to Putin, which was described by people with knowledge of its contents, shows how interested he was in attracting the personal attention of the Russian president. The real estate magnate, who owned the Miss Universe pageant, wrote the note at a time when he was looking to expand his brand to Russia.
The letter, the first known attempt at direct outreach by Trump to Putin, has been turned over to investigators looking into Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign. It is unclear whether Trump's missive was ever delivered to the Russian president -- and if so, whether Putin responded.
John Dowd, an attorney for Trump, said he was not familiar with the letter. "It's all nonsense," he said.
A White House spokesman and attorneys for the Trump Organization declined to comment.
At the time, Trump made no secret that he hoped Putin would attend the Miss Universe pageant, which was being held in Russia for the first time.
In a June 18, 2013, tweet, Trump wrote: "Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow -- if so, will he become my new best friend?"
His letter to Putin was written that month, according to the people familiar with the document.
The pageant was part of a yearslong effort to take the Trump name to Russia. Trump has repeatedly sought to build a tower in Russia since the late 1980s, without success.
But in 2013, a new opportunity emerged through another business he owned: the Miss Universe pageant.
Trump was approached by billionaire Moscow developer Aras Agalarov and his pop star son, Emin, who said they would pay to take Miss Universe to the Russian capital.
Trump was eager for Putin to attend the event, but the Russian president canceled a planned appearance at the last minute, Aras Agalarov told The Washington Post in a 2016 interview.
"That was a very complicated situation then, because I promised Trump he would meet Putin," Agalarov said.
Instead, Putin sent a "friendly" letter and a gift of a Russian lacquered box, he said. "So he was leaving with very warm feelings," Agalarov said. "He was very happy."
During the pageant, Trump suggested that Putin was following the event and Trump's role in it. "I do have a relationship, and I can tell you that he's very interested in what we're doing here today," Trump told MSNBC while in Moscow.
Investigators for special counsel Robert Mueller have asked witnesses questions about the Miss Universe pageant and Trump's interest in having Putin attend the event, according to people familiar with the inquiry.
Mueller's team also has examined Trump's relationship with the Agalarovs, which extended beyond the 2013 pageant.
Information for this article was contributed by Karoun Demirjian, Josh Dawsey and Tom Hamburger of The Washington Post.
Business on 03/10/2018