In addition to the legal problems that he has ignited for himself - and Prince Jared - Donald Trump, Jr., has given investigators their first concrete example of Trump campaign efforts to collude with Russia. It is something I have always suspected took place given Der Trumpenführer history of dealing with shady (that's being charitable) individuals and ignoring the law when it did not suit his purposes. One of the most insane side effects of the disclosure is Trump, Sr.'s claim that he knew nothing about the meeting. Consider this: it occurred in Trump Tower and involved his son and son-in-law. Only in Trump world is such a far fetched claim believable to his Kool-Aid drinking supporters. A piece in CNN - not the fake news channel Der Trumpenführer claims (that would be Fox News) - Senator Mark Warner shares his views on the unfolding Russiagate scandal which increasingly has the feeling of Watergate deja vue. Here are article highlights:
The vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Monday that Donald Trump Jr.'s acknowledgment of a meeting with a Russian lawyer last June is the first clear public evidence that senior Trump campaign officials met with Russians to try to discredit Hillary Clinton.
"This is the first time that the public has seen clear evidence of senior level members of the Trump campaign meeting Russians to try to obtain information that might hurt the campaign of Hillary Clinton," Sen. Mark Warner told reporters.
Trump Jr. acknowledged Sunday that he met with a Russian lawyer who he had been told "might have information helpful to the campaign." . . . Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting with Veselnitskaya, according to Trump Jr., but he said he told them "nothing of the substance" prior to the meeting.
Warner said Monday that Trump Jr.'s acknowledgment of the meeting reveals a "continuing pattern" of Trump campaign and administration officials having "conveniently forgotten" meetings they had with Russians.
"It's also a continuing pattern that we've seen since the election of Trump campaign and Trump administration officials who have conveniently forgotten meetings with Russians, only when they are then presented with evidence they have to recant and acknowledge those kind of meetings," the Virginia Democrat said.
"I'm not going to get into the witness list and the individuals that we have talked to or plan on talking to, but rest assured Donald Trump Jr. will be someone that we want to talk to," Warner said. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democratic member of the same committee, echoed Warner on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" later Monday. . . . . Wyden said he viewed Trump Jr.'s statement on Sunday as an "admission" of attempting to collude with a Russian person to bolster the Trump campaign.
"We don't know what was said, but when I look at somebody's own words, that was an admission," Wyden said. "He was getting together with somebody who was going to give him information of value, a Russian giving him information of value that would help Donald Trump get elected."
As in Watergate, there were first the improper actions followed by constant lies and then presidential efforts to obstruct justice. The parallel's are increasingly stark.
No comments:
Post a Comment