It has finally come out that Trump gave the Russians the go-ahead to interfere in US elections in the Oval Office.
President Trump told two senior Russian officials in a 2017 Oval Office meeting that he was unconcerned about Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election because the United States did the same in other countries, an assertion that prompted alarmed White House officials to limit access to the remarks to an unusually small number of people, according to three former officials with knowledge of the matter.
The comments, which have not been previously reported, were part of a now-infamous meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, in which Trump revealed highly classified information that exposed a source of intelligence on the Islamic State. He also said during the meeting that firing FBI Director James B. Comey the previous day had relieved “great pressure†on him.
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A memorandum summarizing the meeting was limited to all but a few officials with the highest security clearances in an attempt to keep the president’s comments from being disclosed publicly, according to the former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The President Of The United States brought representatives from the nation that attacked the most recent election in his home country into the Oval Office and told them that he wasn’t concerned with their crimes against US democracy.
Trump’s comments were an invitation to Russia to interfere in future elections. When the president says he isn’t concerned, the message is clear. Russia is not going to be punished for interfering in elections, and Trump is more than happy to encourage their behavior by turning a blind eye because he knows that their interference will benefit him.
If Trump weren’t already being impeached for shaking down Ukraine, this would be an impeachable offense.
The fact that the American people are finding out about Trump’s comments now reveals how narrow Robert Mueller’s investigative scope was. It took a whistleblower to expose Trump’s illegal hiding of his communications, and impeachment is bringing all of his scandals to the surface.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
