8/5/2018

2016 ELECTION/DONALD JR/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday [8-5-18] that his son met with Russians in 2016 at Trump Tower to get information on his election opponent Hillary Clinton, saying it was ‘totally legal’ and ‘done all the time in politics.’ The Republican president had previously said the meeting was about the adoption of Russian children by Americans. Trump’s morning Twitter post was his most direct statement on the purpose of the meeting, though his son and others have said it was to gather damaging information on the Democratic candidate. In a post on Twitter here, Trump also denied reports in the Washington Post and CNN that he was concerned his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., could be in legal trouble because of the meeting with the Russians, including a lawyer with Kremlin ties…Political campaigns routinely pursue opposition research on their opponents, but not with foreign representatives from a country viewed as an adversary. Russian officials were under U.S. sanctions at the time. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is examining whether Trump campaign members coordinated with Russia to sway the White House race in his favor. Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied his government interfered.”

-Doina Chiacu, “Trump says his son sought information on Clinton from Russians in 2016,” Reuters, August 5, 2018 7:40 am