Adam Schiff questions whether Russia's outreach to Donald Trump Jr. was a 'testing of the waters'

At a Tuesday press conference to discuss the latest developments in the Russia investigation, House Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) deemed Donald Trump Jr.'s recently released emails "very significant" and "deeply disturbing."
The emails between Trump Jr. and publicist Rob Goldstone about a potential meeting with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer offer "new public information about direct contacts" between the Trump campaign and Russia, Schiff said. Goldstone reached out to Trump Jr. about a Russian source who could potentially provide damaging information about Hillary Clinton, to which Trump Jr. responded that he'd "love it" if that were the case. Schiff contended "all the campaign denials" about contacts with Russia "obviously now have to be viewed in a completely different context."
Schiff said he now wants to investigate whether the meeting "was just the beginning" or "a testing of the waters by the Russians to see whether the campaign would be receptive to their engagement and involvement in the presidential election." He also made clear the Trump campaign did not disclose the emails to the FBI, which he called a "breach of civic responsibility" and "of norms."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Goldstone claimed in the email exchange that the information "would be very useful" to President Trump and was "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." Trump Jr. himself publicized the emails in a tweet Tuesday.
Schiff said the House Intelligence Committee "will certainly want" Trump Jr. to testify in a hearing.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
August 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda