Candidate Trump’s ‘nod’ to a sitdown with Vladimir

Lawyers for a former campaign aide who lied to the FBI say President Trump “nodded with approval” at the suggestion of a sitdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

George Papadopoulos, the first person to be charged in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election meddling, is slated to be sentenced Friday. He’s seeking leniency after pleading guilty to misleading investigators.

His attorneys contend he misled agents during a January 2017 interview not in an attempt to damage the probe, but rather to “save his professional aspirations and preserve a perhaps misguided loyalty to his master.”

Papadopoulos, his lawyers argue, was nothing more than an aide hoping to hitch his political star to Trump’s campaign.

His lawyers say the 31-yearold was hired by the campaign in March 2016 as a foreign policy adviser despite having no experience with U.S. diplomacy.

Days later, Papdopoulos met with a London-based professor who would later tell him he knew of Russians who could provide “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. At a meeting that same month, Papadopoulos proposed he could leverage his newfound Russian connections to arrange a meeting between Trump and Putin — which appeared to please the future President.

“While some in the room rebuffed George’s offer, Mr. Trump nodded with approval and deferred to Mr. Sessions, who appeared to like the idea and stated that the campaign should look into it,” his defense lawyers wrote, referencing then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, now attorney general.

The account marks the first time any word of Trump’s reaction has been reported.