Republicans shrug off latest Trump Russia twist
Emails released by President Donald Trump’s eldest son detailing communications with Russians have provoked a collective shrug from many Republicans in Congress.
Scant new concern was evident from Republican leadership on down, despite the revelation of an email chain showing that Trump’s son eagerly accepted help from what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid his father’s campaign.
On Wednesday, a day after Donald Trump Jr. released the emails himself, House Speaker Paul Ryan said it was unacceptable that Russia meddled in the elections but deflected specific questions. He cited the Department of Justice’s special counsel and congressional investigations.
“I think it’s very important that these professionals in these committees do their jobs so that we can get to the bottom of all of this,” Ryan said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did the same on Tuesday.
“The investigation in the Senate’s being handled by the Intelligence Committee, and I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of whatever may have happened,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters asking about his views on the matter.
McConnell gave similar responses when asked whether he still trusts the president on Russia issues, and whether he himself regrets not taking action after getting briefed last fall, along with other high-level House and Senate lawmakers of both parties, about Russia’s attempted meddling in the U.S. election.
Trump Jr., along with several White House officials, has repeatedly denied any collusion with anyone tied to the Russian government. But the emails he posted on Twitter — shortly prior to publication by The New York Times — indicated that members of the president’s inner campaign circle met with Russians whom they knew wanted Trump to prevail.
U.S. intelligence agencies have said the Russian government meddled in the election to aid Trump. Although the president himself has yet to fully embrace that conclusion, investigations are under way by the House and Senate intelligence committees as well as the special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, Robert Mueller.
As the story has developed, most congressional Republicans have downplayed new news and deferred to the investigations under way. Tuesday was no different, despite attempts by minority Democrats to stoke outrage.
“I think that’s overblown,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a senior Republican, describing Donald Trump Jr. as “a very nice young man.”
“One of the things that endears the president to me is how nice his children are. And they all love him. So, and he divorced their mothers, and they love him,” Hatch said.
Democrats were predictably furious. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, California Rep. Adam Schiff, said the emails are “obviously very significant, deeply disturbing, new public information about direct contacts between the Russian government and its intermediaries and the very centre of the Trump family, campaign and organization.”