Donald Trump Jr meeting: US President declares his son innocent and says he is victim of the ‘greatest witch hunt in political history’
THE US Democrats have initiated a long-shot bid to have controversial President Donald Trump removed from office, targeting his firing of FBI director James Comey.
THE US Democrats have launched a long-shot bid to have controversial President Donald Trump removed from office.
House Democrat Brad Sherman accused Trump in an article of impeachment of obstructing investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, in part by firing former FBI director James Comey.
The California representative acknowledges filing the article is “the first step on a very long road”.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Sherman’s resolution was “utterly and completely ridiculous”.
FULL LIST: Team Trump’s tiues to Russia
Sherman’s effort has little chance of success in the Republican-led House and he does not even have the backing of many fellow Democrats.
Democratic leaders believe efforts to impeach Trump serve only to energise the president’s supporters.
Sherman filed the article a day after the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, acknowledged he met a Russian lawyer during the election campaign after an intermediary promised she had damaging information from Moscow about Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Trump Jr said he received no information about Clinton at the meeting.
‘PUTIN PREFERS CLINTON’
Earlier, Mr Trump claimed Vladimir Putin would have rather had Hillary Clinton in the White House than him.
In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson at the White House, Mr Trump tried to hose down claims that Russia was working with the Trump campaign to get the billionaire elected.
“If Hillary had won, our military would be decimated. Our energy would be much more expensive. That’s what Putin doesn’t like about me,” he said. “And that’s why I say, why would he want me? Because from day one I wanted a strong military, he doesn’t want to see that.”
Mr Trump claimed Mr Putin “probably” did not want him to become president because of his push to expand US oil and gas production, which he said could hurt Russian energy exports.
“So what I keep hearing about that he would have rather had Trump, I think ‘probably not,’” he said.
He said that he and Mr Putin “get along very, very well.”
“We are a tremendously powerful neclear power, and so are they. It doesn’t make sense not to have some kind of relationship,” he said.
TRUMP SAYS JUNIOR IS ‘INNOCENT’
The comments came as Mr Trump took to Twitter to declare his eldest son “innocent” following revelations that Donald Trump Jr met with a Russian lawyer to get dirt on Hillary Clinton that he was told came from the Kremlin.
“My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent. This is the greatest Witch Hunt in political history. Sad!” the president tweeted, referring to his son’s Monday-night interview with Fox News.
“Why aren’t the same standards placed on the Democrats, Look what Hillary Clinton may have gotten away with. Disgraceful!”
He also claimed to have “very little time for watching TV” and that his White House was “functioning perfectly”.
My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent. This is the greatest Witch Hunt in political history. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017
Remember, when you hear the words "sources say" from the Fake Media, often times those sources are made up and do not exist.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017
Why aren't the same standards placed on the Democrats. Look what Hillary Clinton may have gotten away with. Disgraceful!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017
The W.H. is functioning perfectly, focused on HealthCare, Tax Cuts/Reform & many other things. I have very little time for watching T.V.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017
The New York Post reported that after days of trying to explain away the 2016 meeting, Trump Jr himself revealed its stunning circumstances on Tuesday — tweeting emails that showed he was promised “high level and sensitive information” about Mrs Clinton from a “Russian government lawyer” to aid his dad’s election campaign.
“If it’s what you say, I love it,” the scion told middleman Rob Goldstone.
Mr Goldstone, a music publicist, said he was organising the get-together on behalf of Russian pop-star Emin Agalarov — the son of an oligarch who is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I can send this info to your father via Rhona, but it is ultra sensitive so wanted to send to you first,” Mr Goldstone said in one of the emails.
Trump Jr defended his actions in Tuesday’s Fox interview, claiming he was just doing “opposition research,” and that he never told his dad about the meeting.
President Trump has previously declared the probe into ties between his campaign and Russia “the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history.”
FBI PICK SHOOTS DOWN ‘WITCH HUNT’ CLAIMS
Mr Trump’s nominee to be the next FBI director, Christopher Wray, went against the president during a confirmation hearing, saying he doesn’t believe Special Counsel Robert Mueller is on a “witch hunt” with regards to Russian meddling in the US election.
“I do not consider Director Mueller to be on a witch hunt,” Mr Wray said.
Mr Wray said he would consider “an attempt to tamper with Mueller’s investigation to be unacceptable and inappropriate.”
He said he would inform the Senate Judiciary Committee of any efforts to interfere with that probe, as long as he wouldn’t be breaking any law or hindering the investigation by revealing such information.
Mr Wray said he has not been asked to pledge his loyalty to the White House nor would he do so.
“No one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process, and I sure as heck didn’t offer one.”
Mr Wray said he has never discussed former director James Comey’s firing with the White House, nor had he discussed it with the Justice Department or the FBI.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post
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