Ex-Trump aide Carter Page was fired from consulting firm over 'strongly pro-Kremlin' leanings

Controversial former foreign policy aide to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign Carter Page had "strong pro-Kremlin views" as far back as 20 years ago, says his former employer.

The Guardian reported on Friday that Page worked for a short time in 1998 for the Eurasia Group -- a major consulting firm that advises multinational banks and businesses -- but left the firm over concerns about his work and his ties to Russia.

Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer took to Twitter on Thursday night, calling Page his firm's "most wackadoodle" former employee in the firm's history.

Bremmer told the Guardian via email, "It was very clear he was ideologically very strongly pro-Kremlin, which wasn’t at all clear when he interviewed. As a result, he wasn’t a good fit at Eurasia Group."

An individual familiar with Page and his employment history told the newspaper that Page is neither as bright nor as effective as appears to believe he is. Page, the person said, "is not smooth or a slick guy."

Page is currently at the center of the FBI investigation into ties between members of Pres. Trump's 2016 campaign team and the Russian government. He has the rare distinction of being a U.S. citizen targeted under a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant due to his repeated and ongoing contacts with high-level Russian operatives.

While Page has been careful not to name the person who connected him to the Trump campaign, sources have indicated that former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was instrumental in his recruitment.

Fox News' Shepard Smith said earlier this week that both Page and former Trump 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort show "damning" signs of working to advance Russia's interests.

“The feds obtained a warrant after convincing a judge that there was probable cause to believe that Carter Page was acting as an agent on behalf of Russia,” said Smith on Wednesday. “I can’t think of anything much more damning than this.”