Opposition leaders have called for an investigation claiming this was yet another indication of the connection between the Trump campaign and the Russians. (Source: Reuters/File Photo)
A day after Donald Trump Jr released a chain of emails which might indicate Russian interference in US presidential elections, US President Donald Trump has come out in support of his eldest son. “My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency,” Trump said in a statement which was read by White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Later, the US President wrote on Twitter that his son “is a great person who loves our country!”
On Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr released emails of his communication with a Russian source who wanted to share ‘damaging information’ on Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton during the run-up to the presidential elections. Music promoter Rob Goldstone sent the first mail to Trump Jr on June 3, 2016 informing him that “the crown prosecutor of Russia” had offered “to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father”. The disclosure is the first public indication that some in the Trump campaign were willing to accept Russian help.
“This is obviously very high-level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr Trump,” Goldstone adds. Trump Jr replies in the affirmative saying, “If it’s what you say, I love it, especially later in the summer.” In the subsequent emails, Goldstone writes they will meet the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya who, according to him, is a “Russian government attorney”. Trump Jr met the lawyer along with brother-in-law Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016, reported The New York Times.
Opposition leaders have called for an investigation claiming this was yet another indication of the connection between the Trump campaign and the Russians. Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said it was clear that Donald Trump Jr understood the intent of the meeting. “Instead of welcoming information from the Russian government, the Trump team should have immediately notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I’m not a prosecutor, but I think this is an extremely serious issue and needs to be followed up on by Robert Mueller’s investigation and the Congressional Intelligence Committees immediately,” Cardin said.
