Mueller is reportedly investigating whether President Trump willfully mischaracterized Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer
Donald Trump Jr. claimed in a statement on July 8 that his meeting with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in June of last year had been "primarily" to discuss "a program about the adoption of Russian children," a comment now known to be misleading. Trump Jr. later admitted he met with the Russian lawyer after having been tempted by the promise of dirt on Hillary Clinton. Trump Jr.'s July 8 statement, though, was reportedly "personally dictated" not by Trump Jr. but by his father, President Trump, and it is at the heart of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's newest interest in the ongoing probe into Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 election, CNN reports.
Mueller and his team are reportedly looking to speak to staffers who were traveling on Air Force One with President Trump when he allegedly dictated his son's statement. "Mueller wants to know how the statement aboard Air Force One was put together, whether information was intentionally left out, and who was involved," people with knowledge of the probe told CNN. "Mueller's questions could go to the issue of intent and possible efforts to conceal information during an obstruction of justice investigation."
While the White House refused to comment on "any special counsel request," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed last month that Trump had a hand in crafting a statement that is now known to have buried the real motive behind the Trump Tower meeting. President Trump had "weighed in, as any father would," she said.
Subscribe to 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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments law
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security law
Speed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published