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| 'I’m at a Loss For Words’: Readers React to Trump Jr.’s Russian Meeting | 'I’m at a Loss For Words’: Readers React to Trump Jr.’s Russian Meeting |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| On Twitter, Facebook and nytimes.com, New York Times readers responded in droves to a report that Donald Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer in June 2016 after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton. | On Twitter, Facebook and nytimes.com, New York Times readers responded in droves to a report that Donald Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer in June 2016 after being promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton. |
| After being told that The Times was going to publish the content of emails setting up that meeting, Donald J. Trump Jr. posted the email chain on Twitter. | After being told that The Times was going to publish the content of emails setting up that meeting, Donald J. Trump Jr. posted the email chain on Twitter. |
| Since then, The Times has reported details about how the meeting unfolded. | Since then, The Times has reported details about how the meeting unfolded. |
| Our reporting of this story generated over 15,000 comments on nytimes.com and thousands more on The Times’s social media pages. On July 11, the day the emails were published, The Times received the second-highest number of comment submissions on a single day on nytimes.com. (The busiest comment day in history was Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the presidential election.) | Our reporting of this story generated over 15,000 comments on nytimes.com and thousands more on The Times’s social media pages. On July 11, the day the emails were published, The Times received the second-highest number of comment submissions on a single day on nytimes.com. (The busiest comment day in history was Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the presidential election.) |
| Hundreds of readers debated about whether the meeting was clear evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and a foreign government, allegations that Donald Trump Jr. has denied. | Hundreds of readers debated about whether the meeting was clear evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and a foreign government, allegations that Donald Trump Jr. has denied. |
| Some expressed support for Donald Trump Jr., saying that he had simply been trying to dig up dirt on an opponent, while others were alarmed about the campaign’s ties to a foreign adversary. | Some expressed support for Donald Trump Jr., saying that he had simply been trying to dig up dirt on an opponent, while others were alarmed about the campaign’s ties to a foreign adversary. |
| Here is a selection of comments, which have been edited for length and clarity. | Here is a selection of comments, which have been edited for length and clarity. |
| To Trump Jr.’s credit, at least he didn’t decline to release by asserting the emails were about yoga and a wedding. The Pentagon Papers this is not. | To Trump Jr.’s credit, at least he didn’t decline to release by asserting the emails were about yoga and a wedding. The Pentagon Papers this is not. |
| — Wilbur Clark, Canada | — Wilbur Clark, Canada |
| This is a direct admission of collusion. Trump Jr. was told this is “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” | This is a direct admission of collusion. Trump Jr. was told this is “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” |
| At this point anybody defending Trump is doing so in the face of actual written admissions of guilt by those around him. I’m not even sure what remains to be argued anymore — it’s all here. | At this point anybody defending Trump is doing so in the face of actual written admissions of guilt by those around him. I’m not even sure what remains to be argued anymore — it’s all here. |
| I’m at a loss for words. | I’m at a loss for words. |
| — Matthew Sussis, Chicago | — Matthew Sussis, Chicago |
| This article is another nothing burger. Collusion means a quid pro quo. | This article is another nothing burger. Collusion means a quid pro quo. |
| There is no evidence Trump Jr. received information remotely usable against Hillary, there is no evidence or suggestion that Jr. promised anything to the Russians if such damaging information were forthcoming, and the story makes clear the probable Russian goal for the meeting was discussion of the Magnitsky Act. | There is no evidence Trump Jr. received information remotely usable against Hillary, there is no evidence or suggestion that Jr. promised anything to the Russians if such damaging information were forthcoming, and the story makes clear the probable Russian goal for the meeting was discussion of the Magnitsky Act. |
| You can assume otherwise but assumptions alone get you nowhere. So, nope. Still zero evidence of collusion. | You can assume otherwise but assumptions alone get you nowhere. So, nope. Still zero evidence of collusion. |
| — HurryHarry, New Jersey | — HurryHarry, New Jersey |
| This is not a Democratic or Republican issue, this is an American issue. No one should be okay with a foreign government interfering in our elections. I don’t understand how the Republican Congress can continue to remain silent on this. | |
| — Sammy, Florida | |
| So Trump Jr. met with an attorney (who was Russian) to get dirt on Hillary. No dirt was provided. I fail to see why this is newsworthy. | So Trump Jr. met with an attorney (who was Russian) to get dirt on Hillary. No dirt was provided. I fail to see why this is newsworthy. |
| Don’t politicians in election campaigns seek dirt on each other all the time? Are we supposed to get all excited because the source of information, or rather the source of no information at all, was Russian? | Don’t politicians in election campaigns seek dirt on each other all the time? Are we supposed to get all excited because the source of information, or rather the source of no information at all, was Russian? |
| I think Trump is a terrible president, but this whole Russia angle that the press has been harping on forever just gets in the way of the real issues, such as Trump’s catastrophic position on global warming. The emphasis on Russia is grossly disproportionate to its importance, which is nil. | I think Trump is a terrible president, but this whole Russia angle that the press has been harping on forever just gets in the way of the real issues, such as Trump’s catastrophic position on global warming. The emphasis on Russia is grossly disproportionate to its importance, which is nil. |
| — YaddaYaddaYadda | — YaddaYaddaYadda |
| Hopefully this new information will serve to hasten the end of the Mueller investigation. I lived through the 60’s protests; Watergate; and the debacle that was the end of the Vietnam War. Somehow the country put itself back together but those wounds were not nearly as deep as the ones being forged today between progressives and conservatives. | |
| The paths developed by these traitorous acts needs to be followed and each and every person involved needs to be brought to justice quickly with a firm verdict that will only be disputed by the most loyal Trump fans. The country and the world cannot take much more. | |
| — Linda Bell, Pennsylvania | |
| There is nothing wrong here. Trump Jr. was baited by a tease: information about wrongful acts by the Clinton camp. | There is nothing wrong here. Trump Jr. was baited by a tease: information about wrongful acts by the Clinton camp. |
| If there was such information, Trump Jr. would have been bound to take it to the FBI. There was nothing but a plea to repeal an act of Congress, which is an entirely legal process under the Constitution. | If there was such information, Trump Jr. would have been bound to take it to the FBI. There was nothing but a plea to repeal an act of Congress, which is an entirely legal process under the Constitution. |
| Trump Jr. listened and quickly terminated the meeting. The Russians sought to influence U.S. policy. It did not work. Kudos to Trump Jr. | Trump Jr. listened and quickly terminated the meeting. The Russians sought to influence U.S. policy. It did not work. Kudos to Trump Jr. |
| — lwnieman, Cedarburg, Wis. | — lwnieman, Cedarburg, Wis. |
| What Don Jr. has basically admitted is that he was open to colluding with the Russians to win the election. The fact that he didn’t get anything from this woman is immaterial. | What Don Jr. has basically admitted is that he was open to colluding with the Russians to win the election. The fact that he didn’t get anything from this woman is immaterial. |
| The Russians now know that he can be bought or influenced. So much for Trump Senior’s oft-mentioned claim that having billions make you immune to outside pressure and bribery. | The Russians now know that he can be bought or influenced. So much for Trump Senior’s oft-mentioned claim that having billions make you immune to outside pressure and bribery. |
| — JTBence, Las Vegas | — JTBence, Las Vegas |
| So, here’s the chain: Some singer, whose father is in real estate, said something to a tabloid reporter/entertainment lawyer; then, the lawyer said something to Mr. Trump; then, there was a meeting in which it became clear that the woman who wanted the meeting was using the fictitious information “damaging to Hillary” to meet with Trump about a completely different topic; then, Trump cut it short and ... end of story. | So, here’s the chain: Some singer, whose father is in real estate, said something to a tabloid reporter/entertainment lawyer; then, the lawyer said something to Mr. Trump; then, there was a meeting in which it became clear that the woman who wanted the meeting was using the fictitious information “damaging to Hillary” to meet with Trump about a completely different topic; then, Trump cut it short and ... end of story. |
| — Elfego, New York | — Elfego, New York |
| If absolutely nothing else, this meeting shows that the Trump campaign did grasp at anything that could help them win, with the involvement of a foreign (hostile) government barely registering as even a minor concern. | If absolutely nothing else, this meeting shows that the Trump campaign did grasp at anything that could help them win, with the involvement of a foreign (hostile) government barely registering as even a minor concern. |
| If no further evidence comes to light of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, it would be a reasonable assumption to think that someone came to their senses and tried to conceal it. | If no further evidence comes to light of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, it would be a reasonable assumption to think that someone came to their senses and tried to conceal it. |
| — Roshanina Ghosh, United Kingdom | — Roshanina Ghosh, United Kingdom |
| This is madness. This whole Russia election conspiracy has been an insane conspiracy theory from the getgo. One brief email exchange from somebody offering opposition research in the middle of a presidential campaign and the left is indulging their sick fetish of accusing the current administration of treason and coming up with melodramatic ultimatums. When does the madness end? Why not cooperate with Russia over certain issues? They’re not the Soviet Union! | This is madness. This whole Russia election conspiracy has been an insane conspiracy theory from the getgo. One brief email exchange from somebody offering opposition research in the middle of a presidential campaign and the left is indulging their sick fetish of accusing the current administration of treason and coming up with melodramatic ultimatums. When does the madness end? Why not cooperate with Russia over certain issues? They’re not the Soviet Union! |
| — Richie McLaughlin, on The Times’s Facebook page | — Richie McLaughlin, on The Times’s Facebook page |
| I find it quite disturbing that the American public doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the Russians meddling in your democratic process and having a president who is clearly vulnerable to Russian influence. | I find it quite disturbing that the American public doesn’t seem to be too concerned about the Russians meddling in your democratic process and having a president who is clearly vulnerable to Russian influence. |
| We Europeans know Mr. Putin, and we also know how Russia plays the game. When Trump was elected, it was obvious to everyone that Putin would run rings around him. I think most people assumed that once he became president Mr. Trump would be surrounded by an army of experienced officials that would somehow compensate for the lack of political savvy and diplomatic experience. Little did we know. | We Europeans know Mr. Putin, and we also know how Russia plays the game. When Trump was elected, it was obvious to everyone that Putin would run rings around him. I think most people assumed that once he became president Mr. Trump would be surrounded by an army of experienced officials that would somehow compensate for the lack of political savvy and diplomatic experience. Little did we know. |
| You should be extremely worried that your inexperienced and overconfident joke of a president is isolating your country from old allies and rolling out the red carpet for hostile foreign influence. | You should be extremely worried that your inexperienced and overconfident joke of a president is isolating your country from old allies and rolling out the red carpet for hostile foreign influence. |
| — Kalle Kastemato, Helsinki, Finland | — Kalle Kastemato, Helsinki, Finland |