<p>The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s son Donald Trump Jr on Friday praised the overall business environment in India and reiterated that it was easier to do business in India as compared to China.</p>

<p>Speaking at the 4th Global Business Summit here, Trump Jr. said: &quot;Indians do have a special entrepreneurial flair. It&#39;s easier to do business with Indians, because of the language, common law, the ability to build reliable relationships. It is almost like doing business back in the United States. For me, it has been, certainly been, easier to do business in India.&quot;</p>

<p>He was replying to a question during the meeting on why the Trump Organisation chose to build ultra-luxury apartments in India first than in China.</p>

<p>Trump Jr&nbsp;also praised the Narendra Modi-led government over-pushing for reforms.</p>

<p>Acknowledging that real estate in India had been going through a tough time, he saw it as a period of cleansing.</p>

<p>&quot;I have been coming here for ten years. Real estate was a four-letter word. People promised X, and delivered X minus a lot if anything at all.&quot; Things have changed a lot here, Trump Jr. said.</p>

<p>On the development of luxury real estate projects in India, Trump Jr. stated that his business brought &quot;authentic and truly global luxury&quot; to India.</p>

<p>&quot;This is now a mature market, our clients fly the world over; they know what luxury is and they are seeking it here. India was behind in such projects, but it has now caught up with the global standards,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Also, he added that ever since Trump took over the president last year, the Trump Organisation would not sign any deals with any country, in order to avoid &quot;conflict of interests&quot; from the White House.</p>

<p>Trump Jr. is on a week-long visit to India to endorse his luxury real estate project, the Trump Towers in Gurugram, Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata.</p>

<p>He called on several real estate developers at Oberoi Hotel in Delhi and met with the members of real estate firms- M3M India and Tribeca Developers.</p>

<p>According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.&#39;s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend.</p>

<p>India is Trump Organisation&#39;s biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram.</p>

<p>The Trump Organisation has more business entities in India than in any other foreign country, financial filings show, with licensing bringing in estimated payments of 1.6 million dollars to 11 million dollars since 2014.</p>

<p>Trump Jr.&#39;s visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).&nbsp;</p>


Trump Jr also praised the Narendra Modi-led government over-pushing for reforms

The United States President Donald Trump's son Donald Trump Jr on Friday praised the overall business environment in India and reiterated that it was easier to do business in India as compared to China. Speaking at the 4th Global Business Summit here, Trump Jr. said: "Indians do have a special entrepreneurial flair. It's easier to do business with Indians, because of the language, common law, the ability to build reliable relationships. It is almost like doing business back in the United States. For me, it has been, certainly been, easier to do business in India." He was replying to a question during the meeting on why the Trump Organisation chose to build ultra-luxury apartments in India first than in China. Trump Jr also praised the Narendra Modi-led government over-pushing for reforms. Acknowledging that real estate in India had been going through a tough time, he saw it as a period of cleansing. "I have been coming here for ten years. Real estate was a four-letter word. People promised X, and delivered X minus a lot if anything at all." Things have changed a lot here, Trump Jr. said. On the development of luxury real estate projects in India, Trump Jr. stated that his business brought "authentic and truly global luxury" to India. "This is now a mature market, our clients fly the world over; they know what luxury is and they are seeking it here. India was behind in such projects, but it has now caught up with the global standards," he said. Also, he added that ever since Trump took over the president last year, the Trump Organisation would not sign any deals with any country, in order to avoid "conflict of interests" from the White House. Trump Jr. is on a week-long visit to India to endorse his luxury real estate project, the Trump Towers in Gurugram, Pune, Mumbai and Kolkata. He called on several real estate developers at Oberoi Hotel in Delhi and met with the members of real estate firms- M3M India and Tribeca Developers. According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.'s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend. India is Trump Organisation's biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram. The Trump Organisation has more business entities in India than in any other foreign country, financial filings show, with licensing bringing in estimated payments of 1.6 million dollars to 11 million dollars since 2014. Trump Jr.'s visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

Easier to do business in India than China: Trump Jr

<p>Donald Trump Junior, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, today said India is &quot;substantially above board&quot; for business compared to China, and reforms underway will help attract investments to Asia&#39;s third largest economy from countries like US.</p>

<p>On a week long visit to push sales of the upcoming Trump Towers in the country, he said the &quot;spirit&quot; of doing business in India is much more aligned with the US way of doing business.</p>

<p>&quot;As a businessman, I feel things here are substantially more above board,&quot; he said. &quot;I think the mentality of the people is the same. I think there is probably little bit more honesty.&quot;</p>

<p>He was replying to a question during a meeting with senior editors on why Trump Organisation choose to build ultra luxury apartments in India first than in China.</p>

<p>Trump Organisation has licensing pacts with local business partners, M3M and Tribeca Developers, for constructing 254 apartments in a price bracket of Rs 5.5 crore to Rs 11 crore with a total area ranging from 3,500-4,500 square feet, at Gurugram. The project is scheduled for completion in March 2023.</p>

<p>&quot;For me it has been, certainly been, easier to do&quot; business in India, he said.</p>

<p>Trump Jr, who will later this week share stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a business summit here, said India represents the biggest market outside the US for the New York-based company.</p>

<p>&quot;Because I am not a new comer, I have seen changes during the last decade, certainly over last couple of years,&quot; he said on how India has changed for better with the government cracking down on corruption and benami deals in real estate.</p>

<p>The reforms undertaken in India, he said, &quot;will be very positive for the country.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;It will open up the country to much more outside investment from places like United States,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Since its entry into the Indian real estate market in 2014, four Trump Towers, with a total revenue potential of USD 1.5 billion, have been launched across Pune, Mumbai, Gurugram and Kolkata. The fifth one which is expected to be a commercial office project is likely to be launched soon.</p>

<p>He however refused to disclose the revenue model for the India business and what Trump Organisation would earn.</p>

<p>The Trump family earned as much as USD 3 million in royalties in 2016 from ventures in India, the New York Times reported citing the president&#39;s financial disclosure report.</p>

<p>The Gurugram project will be the largest of the four, with two 47-storey towers housing a total of 254 &#39;ultra luxury&#39; units.</p>

<p>While the company is not soliciting new business opportunities during duration of Trump&#39;s presidency to avoid conflict of interest, he said the focus would remain on building only luxury and high-end apartments.</p>

<p>&quot;We have been a high-end company since inception,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>


'For me it has been, certainly been, easier to do' business in India, the US President's son said

Donald Trump Junior, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, today said India is "substantially above board" for business compared to China, and reforms underway will help attract investments to Asia's third largest economy from countries like US. On a week long visit to push sales of the upcoming Trump Towers in the country, he said the "spirit" of doing business in India is much more aligned with the US way of doing business. "As a businessman, I feel things here are substantially more above board," he said. "I think the mentality of the people is the same. I think there is probably little bit more honesty." He was replying to a question during a meeting with senior editors on why Trump Organisation choose to build ultra luxury apartments in India first than in China. Trump Organisation has licensing pacts with local business partners, M3M and Tribeca Developers, for constructing 254 apartments in a price bracket of Rs 5.5 crore to Rs 11 crore with a total area ranging from 3,500-4,500 square feet, at Gurugram. The project is scheduled for completion in March 2023. "For me it has been, certainly been, easier to do" business in India, he said. Trump Jr, who will later this week share stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a business summit here, said India represents the biggest market outside the US for the New York-based company. "Because I am not a new comer, I have seen changes during the last decade, certainly over last couple of years," he said on how India has changed for better with the government cracking down on corruption and benami deals in real estate. The reforms undertaken in India, he said, "will be very positive for the country." "It will open up the country to much more outside investment from places like United States," he said. Since its entry into the Indian real estate market in 2014, four Trump Towers, with a total revenue potential of USD 1.5 billion, have been launched across Pune, Mumbai, Gurugram and Kolkata. The fifth one which is expected to be a commercial office project is likely to be launched soon. He however refused to disclose the revenue model for the India business and what Trump Organisation would earn. The Trump family earned as much as USD 3 million in royalties in 2016 from ventures in India, the New York Times reported citing the president's financial disclosure report. The Gurugram project will be the largest of the four, with two 47-storey towers housing a total of 254 'ultra luxury' units. While the company is not soliciting new business opportunities during duration of Trump's presidency to avoid conflict of interest, he said the focus would remain on building only luxury and high-end apartments. "We have been a high-end company since inception," he said.

India easier to do business in than China: Donald Trump Jr

<p>Donald Trump Junior, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday described his father as an &quot;incredible visionary&quot; who rose to head the world&#39;s oldest democracy against all odds.</p>

<p>On a week-long <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/trump-jr-arriving-in-india-with-business-foreign-policy-in-mind-33413">visit to India</a> to sell a range of properties, including one in Gurgaon and another in Kolkata, Trump Junior rued the scrutiny his family faces, terming it as &quot;ridiculous&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;My father is an incredible visionary. Anything that he has done and put his mind to, he has succeeded at it, beyond all expectations,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>And politics has been no different. &quot;When you think about what he has been able to accomplish against the largest political machine that assembled, with one-tenth money, one-tenth staff, zero chance of winning according to every expert in the world. Yet he does it,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The US President, who headed the real estate-to-hospitality Trump Organisation before becoming US President, has the &quot;unique ability to see things which other people don&#39;t see,&quot; he said. &quot;That has allowed him to develop the brand.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;He has a unique ability to see the things which others don&#39;t see. He has unique ability to see things to make them better, how to approach it differently. There is something very remarkable about that,&quot; Trump Junior said.</p>

<p>He was replying to questions at a media round-table on who in the Trump family was a better businessman.</p>

<p>Trump Junior said it was not easy to replicate his father and he and his brother were trying to maintain the business after him.</p>

<p>Trump Junior said his company is following a self-imposed embargo on not soliciting any new business till his father is in office to avoid conflict of interest. This has led to losing out on many opportunities, he said.</p>

<p>Asked about being under constant scrutiny, he said even when he jokes and smiles, it is interpreted in whatever way the media wants.</p>

<p>&quot;The level of scrutiny is ridiculous,&quot; he said adding that &quot;for a businessman the scrutiny can be frustrating&quot;.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Trump Junior said his company is following a self-imposed embargo on not soliciting any new business till his father is in office to avoid conflict of interest

Donald Trump Junior, the eldest son of US President Donald Trump, on Tuesday described his father as an "incredible visionary" who rose to head the world's oldest democracy against all odds. On a week-long visit to India to sell a range of properties, including one in Gurgaon and another in Kolkata, Trump Junior rued the scrutiny his family faces, terming it as "ridiculous". "My father is an incredible visionary. Anything that he has done and put his mind to, he has succeeded at it, beyond all expectations," he said. And politics has been no different. "When you think about what he has been able to accomplish against the largest political machine that assembled, with one-tenth money, one-tenth staff, zero chance of winning according to every expert in the world. Yet he does it," he said. The US President, who headed the real estate-to-hospitality Trump Organisation before becoming US President, has the "unique ability to see things which other people don't see," he said. "That has allowed him to develop the brand." "He has a unique ability to see the things which others don't see. He has unique ability to see things to make them better, how to approach it differently. There is something very remarkable about that," Trump Junior said. He was replying to questions at a media round-table on who in the Trump family was a better businessman. Trump Junior said it was not easy to replicate his father and he and his brother were trying to maintain the business after him. Trump Junior said his company is following a self-imposed embargo on not soliciting any new business till his father is in office to avoid conflict of interest. This has led to losing out on many opportunities, he said. Asked about being under constant scrutiny, he said even when he jokes and smiles, it is interpreted in whatever way the media wants. "The level of scrutiny is ridiculous," he said adding that "for a businessman the scrutiny can be frustrating".

In India, Trump Jr describes father as 'incredible visionary'

<p>The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s son, Donald Trump Jr, is coming to India with business and foreign policy in mind.</p>

<p>The executive vice-director of Trump Organisation is scheduled to arrive in India on his maiden visit on Tuesday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">US President Donald Trump&#39;s son <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DonaldTrumpJr?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DonaldTrumpJr</a> arrives in Delhi. He is on a week-long visit to India. <a href="https://t.co/3hnjPSBBZ7">pic.twitter.com/3hnjPSBBZ7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965776965578960896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>During the week-long trip, Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;will not only endorse his luxurious residential project-Trump Towers, but he is scheduled to deliver a speech on foreign policy in India.</p>

<p>Trump Jr&nbsp;will meet with Indian investors and business leaders in Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Gurugram respectively, The Washington Post reported.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="ro"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DonaldTrumpJr?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DonaldTrumpJr</a> met real estate developers at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a>&#39;s Oberoi Hotel. <a href="https://t.co/Chve4YeuWe">pic.twitter.com/Chve4YeuWe</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/965848746742435840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The eldest son of Donald Trump has already advertised himself prior to his visit.</p>

<p>Full-page advertisements in Indian newspapers on Monday invited prospective investors to buy into the Trump Organisation&#39;s project in Gurugram to join Donald Trump Jr at a dinner later this week.</p>

<p>&quot;Trump has arrived. Have you?&quot; read the advertisement, inviting buyers to book their apartments in Trump Towers by Wednesday &quot;for a conversation and dinner&quot; with Trump Jr on Friday. An advertisement in newspapers on Sunday read, &quot;Trump is here. Are you invited?&quot;</p>

<p>Trump Jr&nbsp;will also deliver his maiden speech in India where he will speak on &quot;Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation&quot; at a global business summit on Friday.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also be present, will speak at the summit on the topic of &quot;Preparing India for the Future&quot;.</p>

<p>In the US, some experts have pointed out the conflict of interests during Donald Trump Jr&#39;s India visit.</p>

<p>&quot;The planned speech by Trump Jr&nbsp;has renewed conflict of interest concerns, with some questioning why the US President&#39;s son will be lecturing on foreign policy while simultaneously trying to hawk his family business&#39;s lavish new condominiums,&quot; The Washington Post reported.</p>

<p>&quot;News that the Trump Organisation would be offering buyers in the Trump Tower the chance to meet the president&#39;s son sparked criticism of potential conflict of interest, and the fact that Trump Jr&nbsp;will be giving a foreign policy speech while on a private business trip complicates the matter further&quot;, The Washington Post quoted ethics expert as saying.</p>

<p>Trump Jr&nbsp;will also visit Kolkata, where the construction of a project with 137 luxury units will begin soon.</p>

<p>Talking about his trip earlier this month, Trump Jr&nbsp;said, &quot;India is such an incredible country and our brand has enjoyed tremendous success in the region for many years. This trip is a celebration of all we have achieved, including the launch of the Trump developments in Kolkata and Delhi which have been underway for many months.&quot;</p>

<p>According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.&#39;s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend.</p>

<p>India is Trump Organisation&#39;s biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram.</p>

<p>Trump Jr&#39;s visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit&nbsp;(GES).</p>


Trump Jr will also give a speech — 'Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation' — on foreign policy at a global business summit on Friday

The United States President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, is coming to India with business and foreign policy in mind. The executive vice-director of Trump Organisation is scheduled to arrive in India on his maiden visit on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump's son #DonaldTrumpJr arrives in Delhi. He is on a week-long visit to India. pic.twitter.com/3hnjPSBBZ7 — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018 × During the week-long trip, Donald Trump Jr will not only endorse his luxurious residential project-Trump Towers, but he is scheduled to deliver a speech on foreign policy in India. Trump Jr will meet with Indian investors and business leaders in Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Gurugram respectively, The Washington Post reported. #DonaldTrumpJr met real estate developers at #Delhi's Oberoi Hotel. pic.twitter.com/Chve4YeuWe — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2018 × The eldest son of Donald Trump has already advertised himself prior to his visit. Full-page advertisements in Indian newspapers on Monday invited prospective investors to buy into the Trump Organisation's project in Gurugram to join Donald Trump Jr at a dinner later this week. "Trump has arrived. Have you?" read the advertisement, inviting buyers to book their apartments in Trump Towers by Wednesday "for a conversation and dinner" with Trump Jr on Friday. An advertisement in newspapers on Sunday read, "Trump is here. Are you invited?" Trump Jr will also deliver his maiden speech in India where he will speak on "Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation" at a global business summit on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will also be present, will speak at the summit on the topic of "Preparing India for the Future". In the US, some experts have pointed out the conflict of interests during Donald Trump Jr's India visit. "The planned speech by Trump Jr has renewed conflict of interest concerns, with some questioning why the US President's son will be lecturing on foreign policy while simultaneously trying to hawk his family business's lavish new condominiums," The Washington Post reported. "News that the Trump Organisation would be offering buyers in the Trump Tower the chance to meet the president's son sparked criticism of potential conflict of interest, and the fact that Trump Jr will be giving a foreign policy speech while on a private business trip complicates the matter further", The Washington Post quoted ethics expert as saying. Trump Jr will also visit Kolkata, where the construction of a project with 137 luxury units will begin soon. Talking about his trip earlier this month, Trump Jr said, "India is such an incredible country and our brand has enjoyed tremendous success in the region for many years. This trip is a celebration of all we have achieved, including the launch of the Trump developments in Kolkata and Delhi which have been underway for many months." According to business partners in India, many units in the Trump Towers are selling about 30 percent per square foot higher than the current market rates. Trump Jr.'s visit to India is expected to reinforce the trend. India is Trump Organisation's biggest international market, with four real estate projects underway in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram. Trump Jr's visit to India comes after his sister, Ivanka, visited Hyderabad in November last year to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).

Donald Trump Jr in India, to have dinner with Trump Tower buyers

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pnbs-overzealousness-shut-the-doors-on-ability-to-clear-the-dues-nirav-modi-33415">PNB&#39;s &#39;overzealousness&#39; shut door on ability to clear dues: Nirav Modi</a></p>

<p>Throwing up his hands, beleaguered businessman Nirav Modi, the alleged kingpin of the largest banking scam in the country&#39;s history, has said PNB&#39;s &rdquo;overzealousness&rdquo; shut the doors on his ability to clear the dues.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ready-to-bring-no-trust-motion-against-centre-as-last-resort-chandrababu-naidu-33429">Ready to bring no-trust motion against Centre as last resort: Chandrababu Naidu</a></p>

<p>Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Monday said he was ready to move a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government with the support of other parties to get &quot;justice&quot; for the southern state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/trump-jr-arriving-in-india-with-business-foreign-policy-in-mind-33413">Donald Trump Jr in India, to have dinner with Trump Tower buyers</a></p>

<p>The United States President Donald Trump&#39;s son, Donald Trump Jr, is coming to India with business and foreign policy in mind.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-comes-at-last-spot-on-presidential-greatness-survey-33425">US presidential &#39;greatness&#39; survey: Donald Trump comes last</a></p>

<p>Donald Trump has come last in a US presidential &quot;greatness&quot; survey, conducted by the University of Houston and Boise State University.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-sylvester-stallone-squashes-death-rumours-says-alive-healthy-and-still-punching-33427">Sylvester Stallone refutes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-sylvester-stallone-squashes-death-rumours-says-alive-healthy-and-still-punching-33427">rumours</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-sylvester-stallone-squashes-death-rumours-says-alive-healthy-and-still-punching-33427"> of his death, says &#39;Alive, healthy and still punching&#39;</a></p>

<p>No, Sly Stallone is not dead. Fans of the actor fell prey to yet another death hoax news on Monday as news of Sylvester Stallone&#39;s death started doing the rounds of the internet.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
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Read the five big stories of the morning here

PNB's 'overzealousness' shut door on ability to clear dues: Nirav Modi Throwing up his hands, beleaguered businessman Nirav Modi, the alleged kingpin of the largest banking scam in the country's history, has said PNB's ”overzealousness” shut the doors on his ability to clear the dues. Ready to bring no-trust motion against Centre as last resort: Chandrababu Naidu Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Monday said he was ready to move a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government with the support of other parties to get "justice" for the southern state. Donald Trump Jr in India, to have dinner with Trump Tower buyers The United States President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, is coming to India with business and foreign policy in mind. US presidential 'greatness' survey: Donald Trump comes last Donald Trump has come last in a US presidential "greatness" survey, conducted by the University of Houston and Boise State University. Sylvester Stallone refutes rumours of his death, says 'Alive, healthy and still punching' No, Sly Stallone is not dead. Fans of the actor fell prey to yet another death hoax news on Monday as news of Sylvester Stallone's death started doing the rounds of the internet.

WION Morning News Brief, February 20, 2018

<p>The United States Secret Service is investigating a &quot;suspicious&quot; white packet that was sent to Trump&#39;s home along with a letter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US media reported that the packet contained a &quot;white packet&quot;.</p>

<p>As a precautionary measure&nbsp;wife of Donald Trump Jr, Vanessa, was taken to a New York hospital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A media report stated that&nbsp; Vanessa Trump was taken to the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Centre strictly as a &quot;precaution&quot;&nbsp;and there was no indication of anyone suffering from any injuries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Though in the initial investigations the powder was found to be unhazardous the suspicious packet is being probed by the US Secret Service.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Calling the incident as &quot; truly disgusting&quot; Donald Trump Jr tweeted that his wife and children were unharmed after the scary situation.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thankful that Vanessa &amp; my children are safe and unharmed after the incredibly scary situation that occurred this morning. Truly disgusting that certain individuals choose to express their opposing views with such disturbing behavior.</p>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/963163553074221057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Ivanka Trump also tweeted showing her concern for her sister-in-law.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thinking of <a href="https://twitter.com/MrsVanessaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrsVanessaTrump</a> &amp; wishing I was by her side today. No one deserves to be frightened this way. There is no excuse.</p>
&mdash; Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/963154459357364224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A media stated that Vanessa Trump was taken to the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Centre strictly as a precaution and there was no indication of anyone suffering from any injuries

The United States Secret Service is investigating a "suspicious" white packet that was sent to Trump's home along with a letter. The US media reported that the packet contained a "white packet". As a precautionary measure wife of Donald Trump Jr, Vanessa, was taken to a New York hospital. A media report stated that Vanessa Trump was taken to the New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Centre strictly as a "precaution" and there was no indication of anyone suffering from any injuries. Though in the initial investigations the powder was found to be unhazardous the suspicious packet is being probed by the US Secret Service. Calling the incident as " truly disgusting" Donald Trump Jr tweeted that his wife and children were unharmed after the scary situation. Thankful that Vanessa & my children are safe and unharmed after the incredibly scary situation that occurred this morning. Truly disgusting that certain individuals choose to express their opposing views with such disturbing behavior. — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 12, 2018 × Ivanka Trump also tweeted showing her concern for her sister-in-law. Thinking of @MrsVanessaTrump & wishing I was by her side today. No one deserves to be frightened this way. There is no excuse. — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) February 12, 2018 ×

Trump's daughter-in-law taken to hospital after 'suspicious' white powder in mail

<p>The US&nbsp;Senate Judiciary Committee said on Friday President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son and his former campaign manager have agreed to negotiate whether to be interviewed by the panel in its Russia probe.</p>

<p>The committee said in a statement it would not immediately issue subpoenas requiring Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;and former campaign manager Paul Manafort to testify at a public hearing set for Wednesday &quot;but reserve the right to do so in the future.&quot;</p>

<p>The committee also said it has issued a subpoena for Glenn Simpson, whose firm compiled a dossier on then-candidate Donald Trump during the campaign, to appear at the hearing after he declined to voluntarily attend.</p>


The committee said in a statement it would not immediately issue subpoenas requiring Trump Jr and Manafort to testify at a public hearing set for Wednesday 'but reserve the right to do so in the future'

The US Senate Judiciary Committee said on Friday President Donald Trump's eldest son and his former campaign manager have agreed to negotiate whether to be interviewed by the panel in its Russia probe. The committee said in a statement it would not immediately issue subpoenas requiring Donald Trump Jr and former campaign manager Paul Manafort to testify at a public hearing set for Wednesday "but reserve the right to do so in the future." The committee also said it has issued a subpoena for Glenn Simpson, whose firm compiled a dossier on then-candidate Donald Trump during the campaign, to appear at the hearing after he declined to voluntarily attend.

Trump Jr and Manafort agree to negotiate over interviews by Senate panel

<p>President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr,&nbsp;and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort will testify on July 26 before the US&nbsp;Senate Judiciary Committee,&nbsp;the panel said in a statement on Wednesday.</p>

<p>Trump Jr and Manafort are expected to be questioned about allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort will testify on July 26

President Donald Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort will testify on July 26 before the US Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel said in a statement on Wednesday. Trump Jr and Manafort are expected to be questioned about allegations Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

Donald Trump Jr to testify before Senate panel next week

<p>President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son and his former campaign chairman have been given approval by a US special counsel to testify publicly to Congress as part of investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election,&nbsp;the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said on Tuesday.</p>

<p>US Senator Dianne Feinstein told Reuters the special counsel, former FBI director Robert Mueller, said that Donald Trump Jr and Paul Manafort, campaign manager from March to August, were free to speak to the committee.</p>

<p>Mueller is investigating allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to help Trump win the presidency and possible collusion between Moscow and the Republican&#39;s campaign. Russia denies meddling in the campaign, and Trump says there was no collusion.</p>

<p>If Trump Jr were to appear before the judiciary committee, he would be the highest member of the president&#39;s inner circle of relatives and White House aides to testify in Congress about the Russia allegations. Several congressional panels have investigations open.</p>

<p>The allegations have dominated Trump`s first six months in office. Trump Jr, who runs the Trump Organization family business, released emails last week in which he eagerly agreed in June 2016 to meet a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow&#39;s official support for his father&#39;s campaign.</p>

<p>The meeting in Trump Tower in New York appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump`s campaign and Russia, investigators in congress have said.</p>

<p>Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley has said he would coordinate with Mueller to ensure that any witnesses the panel brings would not conflict with Mueller&#39;s criminal investigation.</p>

<p>Feinstein, asked whether Mueller had given the go ahead for Trump Jr and Manafort to testify publicly, said, &quot;yes.&quot;</p>

<p>Feinstein said the committee planned for the testimony to be part of a broader hearing scheduled for Wednesday but has now been postponed. She could not confirm whether the hearing would take place next week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Eighth person in Trump Tower meeting identified</strong></p>

<p>A man who works for a Moscow-based developer with ties to Trump was identified on Tuesday as the eighth person to attend the Trump Tower meeting.</p>

<p>Lawyer Scott Balber confirmed Ike Kaveladze&#39;s name to Reuters after CNN reported that his client had been identified by special counsel Mueller&#39;s&nbsp;prosecutors and was cooperating in their investigation.</p>

<p>Balber represented Trump himself in the New York businessman&#39;s 2013 lawsuit against comedian television host Bill Maher, demanding the $5 million Maher offered to give to charity if Trump could prove his father is not an orangutan.</p>

<p>Kaveladze&#39;s LinkedIn profile identifies him as vice president of Crocus Group, a company run by Moscow-based developers Aras Agalarov and his son, Emin, an Azerbaijani-Russian pop star. The two have ties to the Trump family and helped set up last year&#39;s meeting between Trump Jr and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ike Kaveladze, the eighth man at the Trump Jr meeting, was implicated in a Russian money-laundering scheme in 2000 <a href="https://t.co/PscHNg6Ubz">https://t.co/PscHNg6Ubz</a> <a href="https://t.co/i3OQ05ryni">pic.twitter.com/i3OQ05ryni</a></p>
&mdash; Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/887345849176662016">July 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Kaveladze was asked to go to the meeting with the understanding that he would be a translator for Veselnitskaya, only to find she had brought her own translator with her, Balber told CNN.</p>

<p>Balber said he also represents the Agalarovs. Balber said Mueller&#39;s investigators have not interviewed his client or made contact about the Agalarovs.</p>

<p>In addition to Trump Jr, lawyer Veselnitskaya, her translator, and Kaveladze, the meeting was attended by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, Manafort, publicist Rob Goldstone and Russian-American lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin.</p>

<p>Anatoli Samochornov was identified as Veselnitskaya&#39;s translator in multiple media reports.</p>

<p>In Moscow, Russia said it reserved the right to retaliate against the United States after a meeting in Washington ended without an agreement to return Russian diplomatic property the US had seized.</p>

<p>Trump&#39;s predecessor President Barack Obama ordered the seizure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats in December over what he said was their involvement in hacking the US election campaign.</p>


President Donald Trump's eldest son and his former campaign chairman have been given approval by a US special counsel to testify publicly to Congress as part of investigations into Russian meddling

President Donald Trump's eldest son and his former campaign chairman have been given approval by a US special counsel to testify publicly to Congress as part of investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said on Tuesday. US Senator Dianne Feinstein told Reuters the special counsel, former FBI director Robert Mueller, said that Donald Trump Jr and Paul Manafort, campaign manager from March to August, were free to speak to the committee. Mueller is investigating allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russia interfered to help Trump win the presidency and possible collusion between Moscow and the Republican's campaign. Russia denies meddling in the campaign, and Trump says there was no collusion. If Trump Jr were to appear before the judiciary committee, he would be the highest member of the president's inner circle of relatives and White House aides to testify in Congress about the Russia allegations. Several congressional panels have investigations open. The allegations have dominated Trump`s first six months in office. Trump Jr, who runs the Trump Organization family business, released emails last week in which he eagerly agreed in June 2016 to meet a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have damaging information about Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton as part of Moscow's official support for his father's campaign. The meeting in Trump Tower in New York appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump`s campaign and Russia, investigators in congress have said. Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley has said he would coordinate with Mueller to ensure that any witnesses the panel brings would not conflict with Mueller's criminal investigation. Feinstein, asked whether Mueller had given the go ahead for Trump Jr and Manafort to testify publicly, said, "yes." Feinstein said the committee planned for the testimony to be part of a broader hearing scheduled for Wednesday but has now been postponed. She could not confirm whether the hearing would take place next week. Eighth person in Trump Tower meeting identified A man who works for a Moscow-based developer with ties to Trump was identified on Tuesday as the eighth person to attend the Trump Tower meeting. Lawyer Scott Balber confirmed Ike Kaveladze's name to Reuters after CNN reported that his client had been identified by special counsel Mueller's prosecutors and was cooperating in their investigation. Balber represented Trump himself in the New York businessman's 2013 lawsuit against comedian television host Bill Maher, demanding the $5 million Maher offered to give to charity if Trump could prove his father is not an orangutan. Kaveladze's LinkedIn profile identifies him as vice president of Crocus Group, a company run by Moscow-based developers Aras Agalarov and his son, Emin, an Azerbaijani-Russian pop star. The two have ties to the Trump family and helped set up last year's meeting between Trump Jr and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Ike Kaveladze, the eighth man at the Trump Jr meeting, was implicated in a Russian money-laundering scheme in 2000 https://t.co/PscHNg6Ubz pic.twitter.com/i3OQ05ryni — Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) July 18, 2017 × Kaveladze was asked to go to the meeting with the understanding that he would be a translator for Veselnitskaya, only to find she had brought her own translator with her, Balber told CNN. Balber said he also represents the Agalarovs. Balber said Mueller's investigators have not interviewed his client or made contact about the Agalarovs. In addition to Trump Jr, lawyer Veselnitskaya, her translator, and Kaveladze, the meeting was attended by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, Manafort, publicist Rob Goldstone and Russian-American lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin. Anatoli Samochornov was identified as Veselnitskaya's translator in multiple media reports. In Moscow, Russia said it reserved the right to retaliate against the United States after a meeting in Washington ended without an agreement to return Russian diplomatic property the US had seized. Trump's predecessor President Barack Obama ordered the seizure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in New York and Maryland and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats in December over what he said was their involvement in hacking the US election campaign.

Trump Jr given approval to testify in Congress: Senator

<p>The US&nbsp;Secret Service on Sunday denied a suggestion from President Donald Trump&#39;s personal lawyer that it had vetted a meeting between the president&#39;s son and Russian nationals during the 2016 campaign.</p>

<p>Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;has acknowledged that he met in New York with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya after he was told she might have damaging information about his father&#39;s rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton.</p>

<p>&quot;Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in. The president had Secret Service protection at that point, and that raised a question with me,&quot; Jay Sekulow, a member of the president&#39;s legal team, said on Sunday on the ABC news program &quot;This Week&quot;.</p>

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<h5>According to emails released by Trump Jr&nbsp;last week, he eagerly agreed to meet Veselnitskaya, who he was told was a Russian government lawyer</h5>
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<p>In an emailed response to questions about Sekulow&#39;s comments, Secret Service spokesman Mason Brayman said the younger Trump was not under Secret Service protection at the time of the meeting, which included Trump&#39;s son and two senior campaign officials.</p>

<p>&quot;Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time,&quot; the statement said.</p>

<p>According to emails released by Trump Jr&nbsp;last week, he eagerly agreed to meet Veselnitskaya, who he was told was a Russian government lawyer. Veselnitskaya has said she is a private lawyer and denies having Kremlin ties.</p>

<p>On Friday, NBC News reported that a lobbyist who was once a Soviet counter-intelligence officer participated in the meeting, which was also attended by Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the president&#39;s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.</p>

<p>The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump&#39;s election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel.</p>

<p>Moscow has denied any interference and the president and Trump Jr&nbsp;have denied any collusion.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>&quot;Under the bus&quot;</b></p>

<p>Sekulow&#39;s comments about the Secret Service drew quick criticism, including from Frances Townsend, who advised former Republican President George W&nbsp;Bush on homeland security.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ok let&#39;s try to deflect blame &amp; throw those in <a href="https://twitter.com/SecretService">@SecretService</a> who protect <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FLOTUS">@FLOTUS</a> &amp; family under the bus ???????? <a href="https://t.co/HZBAv5HF9K">https://t.co/HZBAv5HF9K</a></p>
&mdash; Frances Townsend (@FranTownsend) <a href="https://twitter.com/FranTownsend/status/886581985195556864">July 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Ok let&#39;s try to deflect blame &amp; throw those in @SecretService who protect @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS &amp; family under the bus,&quot; she said on Twitter.</p>

<p>The Secret Service&#39;s mission is to provide physical protection for the US&nbsp;president. The agency also protects major presidential candidates. But its role in vetting people who meet with a US&nbsp;president or candidates is limited to ensuring physical safety.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Lawyer: Trump unaware of meeting</strong></p>

<p>Trump himself has said he was unaware of the meeting between his son and the Russian lawyer until a few days ago.</p>

<p>&quot;The president was not aware about this meeting, did not participate in this meeting,&quot; Sekulow told the CBS program &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;</p>

<p>Sekulow added that Trump was not aware of any meetings between his campaign staff and Russians.</p>

<p>A federal special counsel and several congressional panels are investigating allegations by US&nbsp;intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election to hurt Clinton and help Trump. They are also investigating potential connections between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.</p>

<p>Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on one of the panels investigating the matter, the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN: &quot;The level of credibility from the senior level of this administration really is suspect.&quot;</p>

<p>Warner said he wanted to hear from everyone who attended the June 2016 meeting.</p>

<p>&quot;Whether we will be able to get the Russian nationals to come over and testify is an open question, (but) those people that our committee has jurisdiction over, the Americans, I sure as heck want to talk to all of them,&quot; Warner said.</p>


'Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time'

The US Secret Service on Sunday denied a suggestion from President Donald Trump's personal lawyer that it had vetted a meeting between the president's son and Russian nationals during the 2016 campaign. Donald Trump Jr has acknowledged that he met in New York with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya after he was told she might have damaging information about his father's rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton. "Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in. The president had Secret Service protection at that point, and that raised a question with me," Jay Sekulow, a member of the president's legal team, said on Sunday on the ABC news program "This Week". According to emails released by Trump Jr last week, he eagerly agreed to meet Veselnitskaya, who he was told was a Russian government lawyer × In an emailed response to questions about Sekulow's comments, Secret Service spokesman Mason Brayman said the younger Trump was not under Secret Service protection at the time of the meeting, which included Trump's son and two senior campaign officials. "Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time," the statement said. According to emails released by Trump Jr last week, he eagerly agreed to meet Veselnitskaya, who he was told was a Russian government lawyer. Veselnitskaya has said she is a private lawyer and denies having Kremlin ties. On Friday, NBC News reported that a lobbyist who was once a Soviet counter-intelligence officer participated in the meeting, which was also attended by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the president's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump's election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel. Moscow has denied any interference and the president and Trump Jr have denied any collusion. "Under the bus" Sekulow's comments about the Secret Service drew quick criticism, including from Frances Townsend, who advised former Republican President George W Bush on homeland security. Ok let's try to deflect blame & throw those in @SecretService who protect @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS & family under the bus ???????? https://t.co/HZBAv5HF9K — Frances Townsend (@FranTownsend) July 16, 2017 × "Ok let's try to deflect blame & throw those in @SecretService who protect @POTUS @realDonaldTrump @FLOTUS & family under the bus," she said on Twitter. The Secret Service's mission is to provide physical protection for the US president. The agency also protects major presidential candidates. But its role in vetting people who meet with a US president or candidates is limited to ensuring physical safety. Lawyer: Trump unaware of meeting Trump himself has said he was unaware of the meeting between his son and the Russian lawyer until a few days ago. "The president was not aware about this meeting, did not participate in this meeting," Sekulow told the CBS program "Face the Nation." Sekulow added that Trump was not aware of any meetings between his campaign staff and Russians. A federal special counsel and several congressional panels are investigating allegations by US intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election to hurt Clinton and help Trump. They are also investigating potential connections between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on one of the panels investigating the matter, the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN: "The level of credibility from the senior level of this administration really is suspect." Warner said he wanted to hear from everyone who attended the June 2016 meeting. "Whether we will be able to get the Russian nationals to come over and testify is an open question, (but) those people that our committee has jurisdiction over, the Americans, I sure as heck want to talk to all of them," Warner said.

US Secret Service rejects suggestion it vetted Russians at Trump son's meeting

<p>A lobbyist who was once a Soviet counter-intelligence officer participated last year in a meeting with senior aides to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, including his son, and a Russian lawyer, NBC News reported on Friday, adding to allegations of possible connections between Moscow and the November election.</p>

<p>The Associated Press said the lobbyist, whom it identified as Rinat Akhmetshin, confirmed that he had attended the June 2016 meeting in New York&#39;s Trump Tower.</p>

<p>A source familiar with the participants of the meeting confirmed to Reuters that Akhmetshin was in the room.</p>

<p>NBC News, which did not identify the Russian-American lobbyist,&nbsp;said some US&nbsp;officials suspected him of still having ties to Russian intelligence,&nbsp;something he denied to the network.</p>

<p>The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump&#39;s election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel.</p>

<p>Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign adviser Paul Manafort were also at the meeting, which Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;agreed to attend because he believed he could get damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.</p>

<p>Trump Jr, the president&#39;s eldest son, did not mention Akhmetshin&#39;s presence when he released a series of emails about the meeting earlier this week.</p>

<p>Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said the report about Akhmetshin &quot;if accurate, adds another deeply disturbing fact about this secret meeting.&quot;</p>

<p>Akhmetshin was not available for comment on Friday. There was no answer at the door of his house in Washington.</p>

<p>The White House had no immediate comment about the NBC News report of a Russian-American lobbyist at the meeting.</p>

<p>Kushner&#39;s spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Manafort&#39;s spokesman Jason Maloni said Manafort had no comment on the meeting.</p>

<p>A former Trump campaign adviser, Michael Caputo, told reporters after he testified to the House Intelligence Committee in closed session on Friday that he had no contact with Russians and never heard of anyone in the campaign &quot;talking with Russians.&quot;</p>

<p>Accusations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated the Republican president&#39;s first months in office. Russia denies the allegations, and Trump says there was no collusion.</p>

<p>The agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online.</p>

<p>Akhmetshin has been accused in federal and state courts in the United States of engaging in hacking conspiracies, although the allegations were later withdrawn, according to court records.</p>

<p>In 2015, lawyers for the Russian mining company International Mineral Resources claimed in the US&nbsp;District Court of the District of Columbia that Akhmetshin helped organise the hack, theft and dissemination of private documents.</p>

<p>That case was dropped. The same company filed a lawsuit against Akhmetshin in the New York Supreme Court but withdrew it last year.</p>

<p>US&nbsp;Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley described Akhmetshin in a letter to the Justice Department in March as &quot;a former member of the Russian military intelligence services (GRU)&quot; who was working to overturn the 2012 &quot;Magnitsky Act&quot; of Congress, which blacklists Russians for human rights abuses.</p>

<p>The Kremlin has often complained about the act.</p>

<p>Congressional records show that Akhmetshin lobbied Congress last year for the Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group that says it is working to lift laws that prevent US&nbsp;residents from adopting Russian children. Those laws were put in place by Moscow in response to the Magnitsky Act.</p>

<p>Trump told Reuters on Wednesday that he did not know about his son&#39;s meeting last year until recently. But in a conversation with reporters later that day, Trump said: &quot;In fact, maybe (the meeting) was mentioned at some point,&quot; adding he was not told it was about Clinton.</p>

<p>Trump Jr&#39;s lawyer, Alan Futerfas, said he had talked with a person who came to the meeting between Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump aides.</p>

<p>&quot;He told me specifically he was not working for the Russian government, and in fact laughed when I asked him that question,&quot; Futerfas told NBC News. It was not immediately clear if the person he referred to was Akhmetshin.</p>

<p>The lawyer said Trump Jr&nbsp;knew nothing about the man&#39;s background at the time of the meeting.</p>

<p>The Russian lawyer in the meeting, Veselnitskaya, has said she was not working for Russian authorities, but she told The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Friday that she was meeting with Russian authorities regularly.</p>

<p>She said she shared information about a US-born fund manager who lobbied for passage of the Magnitsky Act with the Russian prosecutor general&rsquo;s office, including with Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, a top official appointed by the Kremlin, the Journal said.</p>


The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump's election campaign and Russia

A lobbyist who was once a Soviet counter-intelligence officer participated last year in a meeting with senior aides to US President Donald Trump, including his son, and a Russian lawyer, NBC News reported on Friday, adding to allegations of possible connections between Moscow and the November election. The Associated Press said the lobbyist, whom it identified as Rinat Akhmetshin, confirmed that he had attended the June 2016 meeting in New York's Trump Tower. A source familiar with the participants of the meeting confirmed to Reuters that Akhmetshin was in the room. NBC News, which did not identify the Russian-American lobbyist, said some US officials suspected him of still having ties to Russian intelligence, something he denied to the network. The meeting appears to be the most tangible evidence of a connection between Trump's election campaign and Russia, a subject that has prompted investigations by congressional committees and a federal special counsel. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign adviser Paul Manafort were also at the meeting, which Donald Trump Jr agreed to attend because he believed he could get damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump Jr, the president's eldest son, did not mention Akhmetshin's presence when he released a series of emails about the meeting earlier this week. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said the report about Akhmetshin "if accurate, adds another deeply disturbing fact about this secret meeting." Akhmetshin was not available for comment on Friday. There was no answer at the door of his house in Washington. The White House had no immediate comment about the NBC News report of a Russian-American lobbyist at the meeting. Kushner's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Manafort's spokesman Jason Maloni said Manafort had no comment on the meeting. A former Trump campaign adviser, Michael Caputo, told reporters after he testified to the House Intelligence Committee in closed session on Friday that he had no contact with Russians and never heard of anyone in the campaign "talking with Russians." Accusations by US intelligence agencies that Moscow meddled in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated the Republican president's first months in office. Russia denies the allegations, and Trump says there was no collusion. The agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online. Akhmetshin has been accused in federal and state courts in the United States of engaging in hacking conspiracies, although the allegations were later withdrawn, according to court records. In 2015, lawyers for the Russian mining company International Mineral Resources claimed in the US District Court of the District of Columbia that Akhmetshin helped organise the hack, theft and dissemination of private documents. That case was dropped. The same company filed a lawsuit against Akhmetshin in the New York Supreme Court but withdrew it last year. US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley described Akhmetshin in a letter to the Justice Department in March as "a former member of the Russian military intelligence services (GRU)" who was working to overturn the 2012 "Magnitsky Act" of Congress, which blacklists Russians for human rights abuses. The Kremlin has often complained about the act. Congressional records show that Akhmetshin lobbied Congress last year for the Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group that says it is working to lift laws that prevent US residents from adopting Russian children. Those laws were put in place by Moscow in response to the Magnitsky Act. Trump told Reuters on Wednesday that he did not know about his son's meeting last year until recently. But in a conversation with reporters later that day, Trump said: "In fact, maybe (the meeting) was mentioned at some point," adding he was not told it was about Clinton. Trump Jr's lawyer, Alan Futerfas, said he had talked with a person who came to the meeting between Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Trump aides. "He told me specifically he was not working for the Russian government, and in fact laughed when I asked him that question," Futerfas told NBC News. It was not immediately clear if the person he referred to was Akhmetshin. The lawyer said Trump Jr knew nothing about the man's background at the time of the meeting. The Russian lawyer in the meeting, Veselnitskaya, has said she was not working for Russian authorities, but she told The Wall Street Journal in an interview on Friday that she was meeting with Russian authorities regularly. She said she shared information about a US-born fund manager who lobbied for passage of the Magnitsky Act with the Russian prosecutor general’s office, including with Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika, a top official appointed by the Kremlin, the Journal said.

Russian lobbyist admits he met Trump Jr, Russian lawyer: Reports

<p>US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday urged President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son to testify to a congressional committee about alleged links between Trump&#39;s team and Russia in the 2016 presidential election campaign.</p>

<p>If he testified,&nbsp;Donald Trump Jr would be the first member of the Republican president&#39;s inner circle of relatives and White House aides to give testimony to congressional investigations into the Russia allegations.</p>

<p>Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, a Republican, planned to send a letter on Thursday to the younger Trump to ask him to appear before his committee in a public session, CNN reported.</p>

<p>Ryan, the top-ranking Republican in Congress, told a news conference he supported that.</p>

<p>&quot;I think any witness who&#39;s been asked to testify in Congress should do that,&quot; Ryan said.</p>

<p>Accusations that Moscow interfered in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated Trump&#39;s first months in office. Russia denies meddling in the campaign, and Trump says there was no collusion.</p>

<p>Trump Jr disclosed this week that he had met with a Russian lawyer last year who was said to be offering damaging information on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton.</p>

<p>Trump Jr eagerly agreed to meet the lawyer, who he was told by an intermediary was part of Moscow&#39;s official support for his father&#39;s campaign, according to emails the son released this week.</p>

<p>The emails were the most concrete evidence that Trump&#39;s campaign might have been willing to accept Russian help to win the election, a subject that has also prompted an investigation by a federal special counsel.</p>

<p>Trump said in Paris on Thursday that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, was a private attorney and not a Russian government lawyer, and that nothing of substance came of the meeting.</p>

<p><strong>My son a wonderful young man: Donald Trump</strong></p>

<p>&quot;My son is a wonderful young man. He took a meeting with a Russian lawyer, not a government lawyer but a Russian lawyer. It was a short meeting. It was a meeting that went very, very quickly, very fast,&quot; he said at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.</p>

<p>US intelligence agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the 2016 election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online.</p>

<p>Trump said it was normal in US politics for campaign teams to look into allegations about their opponents, as his son agreed to do before the meeting in June 2016.</p>

<p>&quot;I&rsquo;ve only been in politics for two years, but I&rsquo;ve had many people call up,&nbsp;&#39;Oh gee, we have information on this factor or this person or frankly Hillary,&rsquo; &ndash; that&rsquo;s very standard in politics. Politics is not the nicest business in the world, but it&#39;s very standard,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Watchdog groups filed a complaint against Donald Trump Jr,&nbsp;Trump&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chief Paul Manafort on Thursday with the federal agency that oversees elections, arguing the three violated the law by meeting with the Russian.</p>

<p>The complaint with the Federal Election Commission was signed by Common Cause, the Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21 and two campaign lawyers involved with those groups.</p>

<p>The Russia allegations forced US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the election after media reports revealed he held undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak.</p>

<p>Sessions, who testified to Congress in June about his dealings with Russian officials, released a government form on Thursday dealing with contacts he has had with foreign nationals, including Russian government officials, but much of it was redacted.</p>


Trump Jr disclosed this week that he had met with a Russian lawyer last year who was said to be offering damaging information on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton

US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday urged President Donald Trump's eldest son to testify to a congressional committee about alleged links between Trump's team and Russia in the 2016 presidential election campaign. If he testified, Donald Trump Jr would be the first member of the Republican president's inner circle of relatives and White House aides to give testimony to congressional investigations into the Russia allegations. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, a Republican, planned to send a letter on Thursday to the younger Trump to ask him to appear before his committee in a public session, CNN reported. Ryan, the top-ranking Republican in Congress, told a news conference he supported that. "I think any witness who's been asked to testify in Congress should do that," Ryan said. Accusations that Moscow interfered in the election and colluded with the Trump campaign have dominated Trump's first months in office. Russia denies meddling in the campaign, and Trump says there was no collusion. Trump Jr disclosed this week that he had met with a Russian lawyer last year who was said to be offering damaging information on Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton. Trump Jr eagerly agreed to meet the lawyer, who he was told by an intermediary was part of Moscow's official support for his father's campaign, according to emails the son released this week. The emails were the most concrete evidence that Trump's campaign might have been willing to accept Russian help to win the election, a subject that has also prompted an investigation by a federal special counsel. Trump said in Paris on Thursday that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, was a private attorney and not a Russian government lawyer, and that nothing of substance came of the meeting. My son a wonderful young man: Donald Trump "My son is a wonderful young man. He took a meeting with a Russian lawyer, not a government lawyer but a Russian lawyer. It was a short meeting. It was a meeting that went very, very quickly, very fast," he said at a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron. US intelligence agencies said earlier this year that Russia sought to help Trump win the 2016 election by hacking private emails from Democratic Party officials and disseminating false information online. Trump said it was normal in US politics for campaign teams to look into allegations about their opponents, as his son agreed to do before the meeting in June 2016. "I’ve only been in politics for two years, but I’ve had many people call up, 'Oh gee, we have information on this factor or this person or frankly Hillary,’ – that’s very standard in politics. Politics is not the nicest business in the world, but it's very standard," he said. Watchdog groups filed a complaint against Donald Trump Jr, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former campaign chief Paul Manafort on Thursday with the federal agency that oversees elections, arguing the three violated the law by meeting with the Russian. The complaint with the Federal Election Commission was signed by Common Cause, the Campaign Legal Center, Democracy 21 and two campaign lawyers involved with those groups. The Russia allegations forced US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the election after media reports revealed he held undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak. Sessions, who testified to Congress in June about his dealings with Russian officials, released a government form on Thursday dealing with contacts he has had with foreign nationals, including Russian government officials, but much of it was redacted.

US House Speaker Paul Ryan urges Trump son to testify in Congress

<p>US President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised his eldest son&rsquo;s &ldquo;transparency&rdquo; and called him a &quot;high-quality person&quot; after disclosures about the latter&#39;s meeting last year with a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have &quot;very high level and sensitive information&quot; on Hillary Clinton.</p>

<p>&quot;My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency,&quot; Trump said in a brief statement read to reporters by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.</p>

<p>Trump Jr on Tuesday released emails showing he embraced Russia&#39;s efforts to support his father&#39;s presidential campaign, and admitting he would &quot;love&quot; to get dirt from Moscow on Hillary Clinton.</p>

<p>Twitter, however, couldn&rsquo;t get over the fact that the US President referred to his son as a &ldquo;high-quality person&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Type &quot;high-quality&quot; or &quot;high-quality person&quot; on Twitter and you&#39;ll find yourself cracking up. Here are some of our favourite&nbsp;tweets.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That sound you hear is people frantically changing their Twitter bios to say they are &quot;a high-quality person.&quot;</p>
&mdash; Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/reidepstein/status/884842621050511360">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If my dad ever referred to me as a &quot;high quality person&quot; in public, that basically meant I was getting a serious beating when we got home.</p>
&mdash; Steven Elmes (@sjelmes) <a href="https://twitter.com/sjelmes/status/884954094930210817">July 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">if your dad ever refers to you as a &quot;high-quality person,&quot; just know you are NOT getting the house in the will</p>
&mdash; Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) <a href="https://twitter.com/fivefifths/status/884843135121203201">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In an official statement Trump called his son a &quot;high quality person&quot; as if he was made well in a German auto plant.</p>
&mdash; Pesach &#39;Pace&#39; Lattin (@pacelattin) <a href="https://twitter.com/pacelattin/status/884843310795300864">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My son is only 6-weeks-old &amp; knows that if I ever referred to him as &quot;a high-quality person&quot; it means I&#39;m about to throw him under the bus. <a href="https://t.co/JFILwOk0rt">https://t.co/JFILwOk0rt</a></p>
&mdash; Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClintSmithIII/status/884855969410363393">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">SCENE VII. A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep.<br />
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CORDELIA: Sir, do you know me?<br />
KING LEAR: Yes, you are a high quality person</p>
&mdash; Mazel Tov Cocktail (@AdamSerwer) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSerwer/status/884851158543675392">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;these moments are precious. sitting on a dock, fishing, your high quality person next to you&quot; <a href="https://t.co/DEpE3qKhvz">pic.twitter.com/DEpE3qKhvz</a></p>
&mdash; Oliver Willis (@owillis) <a href="https://twitter.com/owillis/status/884844507694596096">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;Luke, you are a high quality person.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/tgsTktXwJ6">pic.twitter.com/tgsTktXwJ6</a></p>
&mdash; Robin Wigglesworth (@RobinWigg) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobinWigg/status/884852011103137792">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What&#39;s a &quot;high quality&quot; person? Does he come with a lifelong warranty or something?</p>
&mdash; WitnessNow (@Peaceful_411) <a href="https://twitter.com/Peaceful_411/status/884843380458631171">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Twitter reacts to the US president referring to his son as a 'high-quality person'

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised his eldest son’s “transparency” and called him a "high-quality person" after disclosures about the latter's meeting last year with a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who might have "very high level and sensitive information" on Hillary Clinton. "My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency," Trump said in a brief statement read to reporters by White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. Trump Jr on Tuesday released emails showing he embraced Russia's efforts to support his father's presidential campaign, and admitting he would "love" to get dirt from Moscow on Hillary Clinton. Twitter, however, couldn’t get over the fact that the US President referred to his son as a “high-quality person”. Type "high-quality" or "high-quality person" on Twitter and you'll find yourself cracking up. Here are some of our favourite tweets. That sound you hear is people frantically changing their Twitter bios to say they are "a high-quality person." — Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) July 11, 2017 × If my dad ever referred to me as a "high quality person" in public, that basically meant I was getting a serious beating when we got home. — Steven Elmes (@sjelmes) July 12, 2017 × if your dad ever refers to you as a "high-quality person," just know you are NOT getting the house in the will — Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) July 11, 2017 × In an official statement Trump called his son a "high quality person" as if he was made well in a German auto plant. — Pesach 'Pace' Lattin (@pacelattin) July 11, 2017 × My son is only 6-weeks-old & knows that if I ever referred to him as "a high-quality person" it means I'm about to throw him under the bus. https://t.co/JFILwOk0rt — Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) July 11, 2017 × SCENE VII. A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep. CORDELIA: Sir, do you know me? KING LEAR: Yes, you are a high quality person — Mazel Tov Cocktail (@AdamSerwer) July 11, 2017 × "these moments are precious. sitting on a dock, fishing, your high quality person next to you" pic.twitter.com/DEpE3qKhvz — Oliver Willis (@owillis) July 11, 2017 × "Luke, you are a high quality person." pic.twitter.com/tgsTktXwJ6 — Robin Wigglesworth (@RobinWigg) July 11, 2017 × What's a "high quality" person? Does he come with a lifelong warranty or something? — WitnessNow (@Peaceful_411) July 11, 2017 ×

Trump calls son 'high-quality person', Twitter can't get over it

<p>US President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son on Tuesday released emails showing he embraced Russia&#39;s efforts to support his father&#39;s presidential campaign, and admitting he would &quot;love&quot; to get dirt from Moscow on Hillary Clinton.</p>

<p>Donald Trump Jr was told by an interlocutor that he could get &quot;very high level and sensitive information&quot; that was &quot;part of Russia and its government&#39;s support for Mr. Trump.&quot;</p>

<p>Trump, 39, responded &quot;if it&#39;s what you say I love it&quot; and set up a meeting with the source, according to the emails.</p>

<p>The email chain, released in its entirety by Donald Jr on his Twitter account shortly before The New York Times published it, effectively confirms that he believed Moscow was behind the compromising information about Clinton that he hoped to receive at a meeting last year with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here&#39;s my statement and the full email chain <a href="https://t.co/x050r5n5LQ">pic.twitter.com/x050r5n5LQ</a></p>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/884789418455953413">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Donald Jr, however, added that he did not tell his father about meeting the meeting.</p>

<p>He told Fox News that he did not bother to brief his father on his encounter with Natalia Veselnitskaya as it had been a &quot;waste&quot; of time -- but wished he had handled things differently in hindsight.</p>

<p>Asked whether he had spoken to his father either before or after the meeting last June ion New York, he told the network&#39;s Hannity show: &quot;No. It was just a nothing. There was nothing to tell.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;It was literally just a wasted 20 minutes, which was a shame,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The disclosure places the president&#39;s son at the center of a burgeoning scandal involving multiple US investigations into whether Trump associates colluded with Russia last year in its covert efforts to tip the 2016 elections to the Republican billionaire.</p>

<p>Donald Jr had initially dismissed the meeting he arranged with the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, as having to do with adoptions, but then offered shifting explanations as more details emerged.</p>

<p>In the emails released Tuesday, Rob Goldstone, a publicist close to the Trumps, tells Donald Jr that he has learned of a Russian offer of compromising material on Clinton from a pop singer he represented, Emin Agalorov.</p>

<p>&quot;The Crown Prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting 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,&quot; Goldstone wrote in a June 3, 2016 email.</p>

<p>&quot;This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government support for Mr. Trump - helped along by Aras and Emin,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Donald Jr responded less than 20 minutes later, according to the chain of emails entitled &quot;Russia - Clinton - private and confidential.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Thanks Rob I appreciate that. I am on the road at the moment but perhaps I just speak to Emin first. Seems we have some time and if it&#39;s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.&quot;</p>

<p>In an interview with NBC News, Veselnitskaya said: &quot;It&#39;s possible that maybe they were looking for such information&quot; about the Clinton campaign.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;They wanted it so badly,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a mass effort to tilt the election in Trump&#39;s favor, including hacking and leaking embarrassing emails from Democrats.</p>

<p>The New York Times reported that Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, two of Trump&#39;s most trusted campaign officials, also attended the meeting with Veselnitskaya and Donald Jr last year.</p>

<p>The Kremlin has said it &quot;did not know who&quot; Veselnitskaya was.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We can&#39;t be aware of all the meetings Russian lawyers have abroad,&quot; said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.</p>


Donald Trump Jr was told by an interlocutor that he could get 'very high level and sensitive information' that was 'part of Russia and its government's support for Mr Trump'

US President Donald Trump's eldest son on Tuesday released emails showing he embraced Russia's efforts to support his father's presidential campaign, and admitting he would "love" to get dirt from Moscow on Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump Jr was told by an interlocutor that he could get "very high level and sensitive information" that was "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." Trump, 39, responded "if it's what you say I love it" and set up a meeting with the source, according to the emails. The email chain, released in its entirety by Donald Jr on his Twitter account shortly before The New York Times published it, effectively confirms that he believed Moscow was behind the compromising information about Clinton that he hoped to receive at a meeting last year with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer. Here's my statement and the full email chain pic.twitter.com/x050r5n5LQ — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 11, 2017 × Donald Jr, however, added that he did not tell his father about meeting the meeting. He told Fox News that he did not bother to brief his father on his encounter with Natalia Veselnitskaya as it had been a "waste" of time -- but wished he had handled things differently in hindsight. Asked whether he had spoken to his father either before or after the meeting last June ion New York, he told the network's Hannity show: "No. It was just a nothing. There was nothing to tell." "It was literally just a wasted 20 minutes, which was a shame," he added. The disclosure places the president's son at the center of a burgeoning scandal involving multiple US investigations into whether Trump associates colluded with Russia last year in its covert efforts to tip the 2016 elections to the Republican billionaire. Donald Jr had initially dismissed the meeting he arranged with the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, as having to do with adoptions, but then offered shifting explanations as more details emerged. In the emails released Tuesday, Rob Goldstone, a publicist close to the Trumps, tells Donald Jr that he has learned of a Russian offer of compromising material on Clinton from a pop singer he represented, Emin Agalorov. "The Crown Prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting 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," Goldstone wrote in a June 3, 2016 email. "This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government support for Mr. Trump - helped along by Aras and Emin," he added. Donald Jr responded less than 20 minutes later, according to the chain of emails entitled "Russia - Clinton - private and confidential." "Thanks Rob I appreciate that. I am on the road at the moment but perhaps I just speak to Emin first. Seems we have some time and if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer." In an interview with NBC News, Veselnitskaya said: "It's possible that maybe they were looking for such information" about the Clinton campaign. "They wanted it so badly," she added. US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a mass effort to tilt the election in Trump's favor, including hacking and leaking embarrassing emails from Democrats. The New York Times reported that Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, two of Trump's most trusted campaign officials, also attended the meeting with Veselnitskaya and Donald Jr last year. The Kremlin has said it "did not know who" Veselnitskaya was. "We can't be aware of all the meetings Russian lawyers have abroad," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Trump son said he would 'love' Russian dirt on Clinton: Emails

<p>Donald Trump Jr&nbsp;was told prior to meeting a Russian lawyer whom he believed had information damaging to Hillary Clinton that the material was part of a Russian government effort to help his father&#39;s presidential campaign,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/us/politics/donald-trump-jr-russia-email-candidacy.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=a-lede-package-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news" target="_blank"> The New York Times</a> reported on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report cited&nbsp;three people with knowledge of the email.</p>

<p>Publicist and former tabloid writer Rob Goldstone, who helped broker the June 2016 meeting, sent the email to President Donald Trump&#39;s eldest son, the Times said. Goldstone&#39;s message indicates that the Russian government was the source of the potentially damaging information, according to the Times.</p>

<p>The Times had earlier reported that the meeting between Trump Jr and a Kremlin-linked lawyer took place, but the new information is that Trump Jr attended the meeting despite supposedly knowing&nbsp;that the meeting was part of a Russian government plot to interfere in the US election to get his father elected.</p>

<p>The Times report specifies that there was nothing to link the promised damaging information to the government computer hacking of the Democratic National Committee which led to the release of Clinton&#39;s&nbsp;emails.</p>

<p>In a statement released Sunday, Donald Trump Jr admitted he was interested in meeting the Russian lawyer with the intent of&nbsp;getting damaging information on Hillary Clinton, but did not specify that he knew the source of the information was part of a Russian plot to interfere in the US election on behalf of his father.</p>

<p>Vladimir Putin denies any meddling in the US election.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Multiple US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered with the US election with the specific intent to get Trump elected, and there are multiple ongoing investigations into whether or not Trump or anyone on his campaign team actively worked with the Russians.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Basic timeline</strong></p>

<p>Clinton secured the Democratic nomination&nbsp;on June 7, 2016.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;meeting between Don Jr,&nbsp;Jared Kushner,&nbsp;Paul Manafort and the Kremlin-linked&nbsp;lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was on June 9, and less than a week later&nbsp;it was widely reported that Russian hackers penetrated the DNC&#39;s servers.</p>

<p>Also on June 9,&nbsp;Donald Trump tweeted about Clinton&#39;s emails.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How long did it take your staff of 823 people to think that up--and where are your 33,000 emails that you deleted? <a href="https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ">https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ</a></p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/741007091947556864">June 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<p>This was two days after securing the Republican nominee for president.</p>

<p>Here is a video of Trump Jr last summer, after the meeting with the lawyer who he knew was&nbsp;promising&nbsp;damaging information on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government plot,&nbsp;denying any connection with Russia.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">NYT: Don Jr was told before mtg that Clinton dirt was part of Russian govt effort to aid Trump<br />
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6/9/16: Mtg w/Russian<br />
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7/24/16: He said this <a href="https://t.co/XlzPJAWsd7">pic.twitter.com/XlzPJAWsd7</a></p>
&mdash; Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/BraddJaffy/status/884589455058886658">July 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The president's son reportedly knew a meeting was part of a Russian plot to help his father get elected, then went anyway

Donald Trump Jr was told prior to meeting a Russian lawyer whom he believed had information damaging to Hillary Clinton that the material was part of a Russian government effort to help his father's presidential campaign, The New York Times reported on Monday. The report cited three people with knowledge of the email. Publicist and former tabloid writer Rob Goldstone, who helped broker the June 2016 meeting, sent the email to President Donald Trump's eldest son, the Times said. Goldstone's message indicates that the Russian government was the source of the potentially damaging information, according to the Times. The Times had earlier reported that the meeting between Trump Jr and a Kremlin-linked lawyer took place, but the new information is that Trump Jr attended the meeting despite supposedly knowing that the meeting was part of a Russian government plot to interfere in the US election to get his father elected. The Times report specifies that there was nothing to link the promised damaging information to the government computer hacking of the Democratic National Committee which led to the release of Clinton's emails. In a statement released Sunday, Donald Trump Jr admitted he was interested in meeting the Russian lawyer with the intent of getting damaging information on Hillary Clinton, but did not specify that he knew the source of the information was part of a Russian plot to interfere in the US election on behalf of his father. Vladimir Putin denies any meddling in the US election. Multiple US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered with the US election with the specific intent to get Trump elected, and there are multiple ongoing investigations into whether or not Trump or anyone on his campaign team actively worked with the Russians. Basic timeline Clinton secured the Democratic nomination on June 7, 2016. The meeting between Don Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and the Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was on June 9, and less than a week later it was widely reported that Russian hackers penetrated the DNC's servers. Also on June 9, Donald Trump tweeted about Clinton's emails. How long did it take your staff of 823 people to think that up--and where are your 33,000 emails that you deleted? https://t.co/gECLNtQizQ — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2016 × This was two days after securing the Republican nominee for president. Here is a video of Trump Jr last summer, after the meeting with the lawyer who he knew was promising damaging information on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government plot, denying any connection with Russia. NYT: Don Jr was told before mtg that Clinton dirt was part of Russian govt effort to aid Trump 6/9/16: Mtg w/Russian 7/24/16: He said this pic.twitter.com/XlzPJAWsd7 — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 11, 2017 ×

Trump Jr told Kremlin behind effort to help father's campaign: NY Times

<p>Early this week, Donald Trump Junior, who is a close political adviser to his father, issued a tweet comparing Syrian refugees to poisoned candies:<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This image says it all. Let&#39;s end the politically correct agenda that doesn&#39;t put America first. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/trump2016?src=hash">#trump2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/9fHwog7ssN">pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN</a></p>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/778016283342307328">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>The tweet, bearing Trump&#39;s official campaign logo, was criticised for several reasons. One, <a href="http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa798_1_1.pdf">the Cato Institute</a> calculated the odds of an American being killed by a refugee to be one in 640,000,000, not three in however many skittles there are in the above bowl. Two, the analogy is logically flawed: leaving uneaten Skittles in a bowl poses no ethical or moral dilemma, which isn&#39;t comparable to neglecting the lives of human beings fleeing war.<br />
<br />
Wrigley&#39;s, Skittles&#39; parent company, having been dragged into this affair made an official statement&nbsp;reaching the same conclusion: &quot;Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don&#39;t feel it&#39;s an appropriate analogy. We will respectively refrain from further commentary, as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing.&quot;<br />
<br />
Trump&#39;s tweet was also <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/21/494854951/donald-trump-jr-used-skittles-photo-without-permission-from-former-refugee">copyright infringement</a>, as the picture was taken without permission. The rightful owner of the picture is especially angry it was used by the Trump campaign this way, as at 6-years-old he himself was a refugee fleeing Cyprus following the Turkish invasion.<br />
<br />
In addition to being grossly misleading, xenophobic, logically flawed and theft, the tweet also has a racist connection. Skittles carry very loaded associations for the alt-right&mdash;an unofficial assembly of far-right wingers characterised by heavy misogyny, racism and white supremacy&mdash;because of the symbol it became during and after the murder trial of George Zimmerman.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Trayvon Martin was carrying Skittles when George Zimmerman killed him in 2012. This was a very high-profile case in North America. Martin was an African American 17-year-old high school student. Zimmerman was the neighbourhood watch coordinator of a gated community in Florida, an American state with Stand Your Ground laws, meaning it is legal to protect yourself from threats or&nbsp;<em>perceived&nbsp;</em>threats. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted by a jury after only about a month.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Skittles&nbsp;became a symbol of injustice to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/jul/15/skittles-trayvon-martin-zimmerman-acquittal">Martin&#39;s supporters</a>, and was used in memes by <a href="http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3okg2c">Zimmerman&#39;s supporters</a>, who incorporated the candy in jokes mocking the dead teenager.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hillary is obsessed with a cartoon frog and her voters are angrier about a picture of Skittles than people getting bombed.<br />
<br />
Victory is near! <a href="https://t.co/qiAiGWNqMd">pic.twitter.com/qiAiGWNqMd</a></p>
&mdash; Vendetta Vidame (@Vendetta92429) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vendetta92429/status/778086672353234944">September 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
Given how many times the Trump campaign has appealed to the alt-right or echoed their racist memes (this<a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/23/donald-trump/trump-tweet-blacks-white-homicide-victims/"> racist and bogus crime stat </a>retweeted from a white supremacist account; Hillary Clinton with a <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/05/donald-trumps-star-david-tweet-recap/">Jewish star of David</a>&nbsp;beside dollars and &quot;corruption&quot;;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/9/21/12893656/pepe-frog-donald-trump">Pepe the frog</a>...), it is hard to imagine that the allusion to skittles is an accident or coincidence. More likely, the campaign is issuing another dog whistle&mdash;a kind of covert tip of the hat, or a thumbs up&mdash;to the kind of Trump supporters who joke about dead African American teenagers.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;(WION)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The message wasn't just xenophobic and fallacious, Skittles was a loaded symbol of racial injustice after the George Zimmerman murder trial

Early this week, Donald Trump Junior, who is a close political adviser to his father, issued a tweet comparing Syrian refugees to poisoned candies: This image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016 The tweet, bearing Trump's official campaign logo, was criticised for several reasons. One, the Cato Institute calculated the odds of an American being killed by a refugee to be one in 640,000,000, not three in however many skittles there are in the above bowl. Two, the analogy is logically flawed: leaving uneaten Skittles in a bowl poses no ethical or moral dilemma, which isn't comparable to neglecting the lives of human beings fleeing war. Wrigley's, Skittles' parent company, having been dragged into this affair made an official statement reaching the same conclusion: "Skittles are candy. Refugees are people. We don't feel it's an appropriate analogy. We will respectively refrain from further commentary, as anything we say could be misinterpreted as marketing." Trump's tweet was also copyright infringement, as the picture was taken without permission. The rightful owner of the picture is especially angry it was used by the Trump campaign this way, as at 6-years-old he himself was a refugee fleeing Cyprus following the Turkish invasion. In addition to being grossly misleading, xenophobic, logically flawed and theft, the tweet also has a racist connection. Skittles carry very loaded associations for the alt-right—an unofficial assembly of far-right wingers characterised by heavy misogyny, racism and white supremacy—because of the symbol it became during and after the murder trial of George Zimmerman. Trayvon Martin was carrying Skittles when George Zimmerman killed him in 2012. This was a very high-profile case in North America. Martin was an African American 17-year-old high school student. Zimmerman was the neighbourhood watch coordinator of a gated community in Florida, an American state with Stand Your Ground laws, meaning it is legal to protect yourself from threats or perceived threats. Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted by a jury after only about a month. Skittles became a symbol of injustice to Martin's supporters, and was used in memes by Zimmerman's supporters, who incorporated the candy in jokes mocking the dead teenager. Hillary is obsessed with a cartoon frog and her voters are angrier about a picture of Skittles than people getting bombed. Victory is near! pic.twitter.com/qiAiGWNqMd — Vendetta Vidame (@Vendetta92429) September 20, 2016 Given how many times the Trump campaign has appealed to the alt-right or echoed their racist memes (this racist and bogus crime stat retweeted from a white supremacist account; Hillary Clinton with a Jewish star of David beside dollars and "corruption"; Pepe the frog...), it is hard to imagine that the allusion to skittles is an accident or coincidence. More likely, the campaign is issuing another dog whistle—a kind of covert tip of the hat, or a thumbs up—to the kind of Trump supporters who joke about dead African American teenagers. (WION)

The racist subtext of Donald Trump Jr's Skittles tweet

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