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MSNBC host Chris Hayes provides evidence that foul play is afoot in Donald Trump Jr email chain

DONALD Trump Jr. denies he had much contact with a Russian source but fresh evidence suggests otherwise.

Matt Young
4 min read
July 13, 2017 - 5:21PM
Donald Trump Jr. could be in more hot water over an email chain he released over his dealings with Russia. Picture: Robyn Beck
Donald Trump Jr. could be in more hot water over an email chain he released over his dealings with Russia. Picture: Robyn Beck

AS A “paralysed” White House struggles to move on from reports US President Donald Trump’s son meddled with Russians in the US election, a fresh piece of evidence has emerged that suggests even more foul play is afoot.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes has broken down Donald Trump Jnr’s email chain after it was revealed the eldest Trump welcomed Russian intel against rival Hillary Clinton.

In his program that aired overnight, Hayes said he “noticed something odd ... that no one else seems to have picked up on”.

The accusations are so explosive, one New York magazine writer claimed the theory was “persuasive and a good catch of some important evidence nobody else seems to have noticed”.

Donald Trump Jr released an email chain in order to clear his name, after a New York Times story revealed US President Donald Trump’s son and namesake had held a meeting with a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin before the US election.

The chain revealed he was aware of a Russian government campaign to support Mr Trump’s bid for president. Donald Jr admitted to meeting with the Russian lawyer linked to the Kremlin after he received an email saying she had dirt on Hillary Clinton.

The emails are “the most concrete evidence yet that campaign officials welcomed Russian help to win the election,” according to Sky News.

The explanation provided by Donald Jr suggests he wanted to have a phone call with his anti-Clinton source “but that didn’t work out”.

Instead, the pair met in New York, which was also attended by Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his then-campaign director Paul Manafort.

Donald Jr emphasised during a Fox News interview that his father knew nothing about the meeting.

But the story gets murkier from here.

On his show, All In with Chris Hayes, the host suggested that despite Donald Trump Jr’s denials he “basically” had no contact with the Russian source, it seems the story — or emails — suggest otherwise.

Don Jr “in fact did have a conversation on the phone before the meeting with the person in Moscow offering the information despite claiming he had no contact just last night”.

British entertainment publicist Rob Goldstone was in cahoots with Donald Jr and emailed on June 3 to set up a face-to-face meeting.

Mr Goldstone said his associate, namely pop singer and real estate developer Emin Agalarov, had information that “would incriminate” Mrs Clinton and “would be very useful to your father”.

Donald Jr replied to the email four minutes later, expressing his delight at the prospect of information that would be harmful to his father’s opponent.

But what many missed is the crucial details that reveal a phone call in fact did take place despite Donald Jr’s reports that it did not.

Hayes explains that around lunchtime at 12:40pm Monday, June 6, Mr Goldstone writes:

Hi Don

Let me know when you are free to talk with Emin by phone about this Hillary info — you had mentioned early this week so wanted to try to schedule a time and day.

Later that afternoon at 3:03pm, Donald Jr replies: Rob could we speak now?

Half an hour later, at 3:37pm, Mr Goldstone replies:

Let me track him down in Moscow

What number he could call?

One minute later, Donald Jr replies: My cell

Five minutes later, at 3:43pm, Mr Goldstone confirms Mr Agalarov was on stage in Moscow but should be off within 20-minutes, so I am sure he can call.

The chain is quiet for nearly an hour when strangely enough, Donald Jr replies at 4:38: Rob thanks for the help”.

“So what happened during that hour? It appears there was a phone call. Did the phone call between Don Jr and Emin take place?” Hayes questioned.

“That ‘thanks for the help’ an hour after setting up a call suggests it might have”.

Hayes then pointed to an email from Mr Goldstone the next day:

Don

Hope all is well

Emin asked that I schedule a meeting with you and the Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow for this Thursday.

I believe you are aware of the meeting — and so wondered if 3pm or later on Thursday works for you?

I assume it would be at your office.

Hayes pointed to the line “I believe you are aware of the meeting”; suggesting it seems to be a reference of the pair having some form of communication already — perhaps a phone call.

Mr Trump has repeatedly referred to the investigations into Russian interference in the US election as a “witch hunt”, arguing it is a politically motivated scheme to discredit his victory and justify Mrs Clinton’s loss.

But, as Buzzfeed put it, “While the emails have been widely and intensely examined over the last twenty-four hours for what they do say, two curious phrases — a reference to a future “call” and a “thanks” — also raise a question about what the emails don’t reveal: Was there a telephone conversation between Trump and either Goldstone or his client between the time that two of the emails in question were sent?”

The consequences of that information are yet to be seen, but later, Hayes suggested on Twitter, if Don Jr did have that conversation, “That makes Jr’s account of what happened in the meeting considerably less plausible”.

— youngma@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/msnbc-host-chris-hayes-provides-evidence-that-foul-play-is-afoot-in-donald-trump-jr-email-chain/news-story/2173368facac0e3f2475c9601a844a68