VP’s Office: Pence Didn’t Know About Trump Jr. Meeting With Russian Lawyer

In this photo released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States Vice President Mike Pence addresses NASA employees, Thursday, July 6, 2017, at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's ... In this photo released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States Vice President Mike Pence addresses NASA employees, Thursday, July 6, 2017, at the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Vice President thanked employees for advancing American leadership in space, following a tour that highlighted the public-private partnerships at KSC, as both NASA and commercial companies prepare to launch American astronauts from the multi-user spaceport. Mandatory Credit: Aubrey Gemignani / NASA via CNP - NO WIRE SERVICE - Photo by: Aubrey Gemignani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Vice President Mike Pence is putting careful distance between himself and revelations of a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Kremlin-linked lawyer in June 2016, which took place just a little more than a month before he joined President Donald Trump’s campaign. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort — Trump’s campaign manager at the time — also sat in on the meeting.

“The Vice President is working every day to advance the President’s agenda, which is what the American people sent us here to do. The Vice President was not aware of the meeting. He is not focused on stories about the campaign, particularly stories about the time before he joined the ticket,” Pence’s press secretary Marc Lotter said in an email to TPM.

The usually vocal-on-Twitter President has also been closed-lipped about news that his son met with a Russian lawyer under the premise that he would receive incriminating information about Hillary Clinton’s that would help Trump’s campaign. He hasn’t tweeted anything about the meeting since it was revealed over the weekend.

On Tuesday morning Trump Jr. released the emails between himself and family friend Rob Goldstone that led to the meeting, which confirm that the President’s son took the meeting to get information about Clinton and that the Russian government wanted to help the Trump campaign.   

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Uh, huh. Just like he didn’t know about Flynn.

    LOL.

  2. Everyone else knew about it except Pence? There’s no turnip truck parked outside here, Mikey.

    Meanwhile:

    Those pesky emails. I just love it.

  3. Um hmmmmmm…Pence was ALL IN during the campaign but now? ‘Sheet, I didn’t know nuthin’ about any collusion stuff…I was just working hard trying to get us elected!’ Yeppers…surrounding the wagons JUST IN CASE he is called upon to ‘serve’. The thought makes me sick.

  4. Time to replay the exhange with Chris Wallace. He says about 5 things before his sleazeball ass manages “Of course not! Come on Chris, we’re on the same team here, why you doin me like this?”

    Ok I made up the second part.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

63 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for ctvoter Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for afisher Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for phillydave Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for lastroth Avatar for arc_of_the_universe Avatar for bboerner Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for greycardinal Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for spencersmom Avatar for caltg Avatar for rickjones Avatar for corncaucus2008 Avatar for maximus Avatar for the_loan_arranger

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: