Trump Jr. Says He ‘Wanted To Hear Out’ Acquaintance Who Offered Russian Intel

Donald Trump Jr., left, is interviewed by host Sean Hannity on his Fox News Channel television program, in New York Tuesday, July 11, 2017. Donald Trump Jr. eagerly accepted help from what was described to him as a R... Donald Trump Jr., left, is interviewed by host Sean Hannity on his Fox News Channel television program, in New York Tuesday, July 11, 2017. Donald Trump Jr. eagerly accepted help from what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid his father's campaign with damaging information about Hillary Clinton, according to emails he released publicly on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday offered his first defense since releasing his emails arranging a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer in June 2016 to receive damaging information on Hillary Clinton as part of what he was told was a Russian government effort to aide Donald Trump’s campaign: He just wanted to see what would happen.

“These are going a million miles an hour again,” Trump Jr. said in a preview of an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity set to air Tuesday night. “And, hey, wait a minute, I’ve heard about all these things, but maybe this is something, I should hear them out.”

Trump Jr. on Tuesday morning published what he said was the entire email chain leading to his meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya.

In the exchange, Trump family acquaintance Rob Goldstone, a publicist who booked Russian pop star Emin Agalarov on Miss Universe, said a “Russian government attorney” could give Trump Jr. “documents and information that would incriminate Hillary” as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”

Trump Jr. said he expected “just basic information that was going to be possibly there” at his meeting with Veselnitskaya.

“I didn’t know these guys well enough to understand that if this talent manager from Miss Universe had this kind of thing,” he said. “So I wanted to hear him out and play it out.”

 

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