Trump: My son's meeting with Russian lawyer was legal

Donald Trump has admitted that his son met with a Russian lawyer in 2016 to "get information on an opponent" but said it was "totally legal".

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تاریخ: ۱۵ مرداد ۱۳۹۷ - ۱۰:۲۹

The U-turn was the US president's clearest acknowledgement that the June 2016 meeting was aimed at getting damaging information on his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

But Mr Trump still insisted he did not know about the meeting at Trump Tower between Donald Jr and Natalia Veselnitskaya, a lawyer with links to the Kremlin.

On Twitter, he wrote: "Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower.

"This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!"

Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2018

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign colluded with a Russian effort to influence the election.

The meeting between Donald Jr and Ms Veselnitskaya is being looked at as part of this probe.

Donald Jr said in July 2017 that the meeting had been about US adoptions of Russian children, a statement apparently dictated by his father.

Later, Donald Jr said he had accepted the meeting hoping to get dirt on Mrs Clinton but he said nothing came of it.

Adam Schiff of California, top Democrat on the house intelligence committee, said on Twitter: "The Russians offered damaging info on your opponent.

"Your campaign accepted.

"And the Russians delivered.

"You then misled the country about the purpose of the Trump Tower meeting when it became public.

"Now you say you didn't know in advance.

"None of this is normal or credible."

California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!

Mr Trump also tweeted about the fires in California, which have destroyed dozens of homes and killed at least seven people.

In his first mention of the tragedy on Twitter, he wrote: "California wildfires are being magnified and made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren't allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized.

"It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean.

"Must also tree clear to stop fire spreading!"