This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/20/donald-trump-new-york-times-nader-zamel-prince

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Trump attacks New York Times over report on son's campaign meeting Trump attacks New York Times over report on son's campaign meeting
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump launched a Twitter attack on the New York Times on Sunday, after the newspaper said his oldest son and other aides met in August 2016 with a representative of two Gulf states offering to help the Trump campaign. Donald Trump attacked the New York Times on Sunday, after the newspaper said his oldest son and other aides met in August 2016 with a representative of two Gulf states offering to help the Trump campaign.
“Things are really getting ridiculous,” the president tweeted. “The Failing and Crooked (but not as Crooked as Hillary Clinton) @nytimes has done a long & boring story indicating that the World’s most expensive Witch Hunt has found nothing on Russia & me so now they are looking at the rest of the World!”“Things are really getting ridiculous,” the president tweeted. “The Failing and Crooked (but not as Crooked as Hillary Clinton) @nytimes has done a long & boring story indicating that the World’s most expensive Witch Hunt has found nothing on Russia & me so now they are looking at the rest of the World!”
The Times reported that Donald Trump Jr met George Nader, a purported emissary for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates; Joel Zamel, an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation; and Erik Prince, the founder of the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater.The Times reported that Donald Trump Jr met George Nader, a purported emissary for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates; Joel Zamel, an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation; and Erik Prince, the founder of the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater.
The meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan “was convened primarily to offer help to the Trump team”, the paper said.The meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan “was convened primarily to offer help to the Trump team”, the paper said.
The offer, the Times said, met with Trump Jr’s approval, and Nader later met with Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and links between Trump aides and Moscow.The offer, the Times said, met with Trump Jr’s approval, and Nader later met with Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and links between Trump aides and Moscow.
A lawyer for Trump Jr, Alan Futerfas, confirmed the meeting but said Trump Jr “was not interested and that was the end of it”.A lawyer for Trump Jr, Alan Futerfas, confirmed the meeting but said Trump Jr “was not interested and that was the end of it”.
Marc Mukasey, a lawyer for Zamel, told the Times his client had “provided full cooperation to the government”. He also said: “Joel Zamel offered nothing to the Trump campaign, received nothing from the Trump campaign, delivered nothing to the Trump campaign and was not solicited by, or asked to do anything for, the Trump campaign.”Marc Mukasey, a lawyer for Zamel, told the Times his client had “provided full cooperation to the government”. He also said: “Joel Zamel offered nothing to the Trump campaign, received nothing from the Trump campaign, delivered nothing to the Trump campaign and was not solicited by, or asked to do anything for, the Trump campaign.”
Mueller’s investigators have been looking into another meeting, in January 2017 in the Seychelles, that Nader and Prince held with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin. Mueller has been looking into another meeting, in January 2017 in the Seychelles, that Nader and Prince held with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin.
The Times quoted a lawyer for Nader as saying he had “fully cooperated with the special counsel’s investigation and will continue to do so”. “A senior official in Saudi Arabia”, the Times said, denied Nader had ever been authorised to speak for the government.The Times quoted a lawyer for Nader as saying he had “fully cooperated with the special counsel’s investigation and will continue to do so”. “A senior official in Saudi Arabia”, the Times said, denied Nader had ever been authorised to speak for the government.
The paper said Prince declined to comment. The White House did not comment.The paper said Prince declined to comment. The White House did not comment.
On Sunday, Trump’s multi-tweet salvo continued: “Now that the Witch Hunt has given up on Russia and is looking at the rest of the World, they should easily be able to take it into the Mid-Term Elections where they can put some hurt on the Republican Party. Don’t worry about Dems FISA Abuse, missing Emails or Fraudulent Dossier!”On Sunday, Trump’s multi-tweet salvo continued: “Now that the Witch Hunt has given up on Russia and is looking at the rest of the World, they should easily be able to take it into the Mid-Term Elections where they can put some hurt on the Republican Party. Don’t worry about Dems FISA Abuse, missing Emails or Fraudulent Dossier!”
In another, Trump called the Russia investigation a “$20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP!” In another tweet, Trump called the Russia investigation a “$20,000,000 Witch Hunt, composed of 13 Angry and Heavily Conflicted Democrats and two people who have worked for Obama for 8 years, STOP!”
Mueller is a Republican who was appointed FBI director by a Republican president, George W Bush, and made special counsel by a Republican deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein. Some of Mueller’s investigators are registered Democrats or have donated to Democratic campaigns.Mueller is a Republican who was appointed FBI director by a Republican president, George W Bush, and made special counsel by a Republican deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein. Some of Mueller’s investigators are registered Democrats or have donated to Democratic campaigns.
The Virginia senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, rejected Trump’s attack. The Virginia senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, told CNN’s State of the Union: “If the Times story is true we now have a second or maybe a third nation that was trying to lean in to this campaign. I don’t understand what the president doesn’t get about the law that says if you have a foreign nation interfere with in American election it is illegal.
“If the Times story is true we now have a second or maybe a third nation that was trying to lean in to this campaign,” he told CNN’s State of the Union. “I don’t understand what the president doesn’t get about the law that says if you have a foreign nation interfere with in American election it is illegal.
“What we do know is that Russia, a foreign adversarial nation, massively intervened in our elections … and they were doing it to help Trump and hurt Clinton.”“What we do know is that Russia, a foreign adversarial nation, massively intervened in our elections … and they were doing it to help Trump and hurt Clinton.”
Warner refused to be drawn on whether he believed Russian actions were carried out with the assistance of the Trump campaign. “That is the end-point question,” he said. “But we do know that the Trump campaign welcomed dirt on Clinton.” Warner refused to be drawn on whether he believed Russian was assisted by the Trump campaign. “That is the end-point question,” he said. “But we do know that the Trump campaign welcomed dirt on Clinton.”
Trump Jr was the central campaign figure in a now infamous June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, between aides and Russians including a Kremlin-linked lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya. Told the Russians had incriminating information about Clinton, Trump Jr responded: “If it’s what you say, I love it.” Trump Jr was the central figure in a now infamous June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with Russians including a Kremlin-linked lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya. Told the Russians had incriminating information about Clinton, Trump Jr responded: “If it’s what you say, I love it.”
Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump’s chief strategist, told the author Michael Wolff he thought that meeting was “treasonous”.Steve Bannon, formerly Donald Trump’s chief strategist, told the author Michael Wolff he thought that meeting was “treasonous”.
Warner said the Mueller investigation was now “a year in, 14 indictments, including the president’s campaign manager [Paul Manafort], and five guilty pleas and a lot of questions still need to be answered”.Warner said the Mueller investigation was now “a year in, 14 indictments, including the president’s campaign manager [Paul Manafort], and five guilty pleas and a lot of questions still need to be answered”.
On NBC’s Meet The Press, the former Trump adviser Roger Stone said he was “prepared” to be charged by Mueller, who he said had “terrorised” at least eight of his current or former associates. On NBC’s Meet The Press, former Trump adviser Roger Stone said he was “prepared” to be charged by Mueller.
“I can guarantee you they have found no evidence whatsoever of Russian collusion, nor trafficking of allegedly hacked emails with WikiLeaks,” Stone said. But, he added, it was not “inconceivable” that investigators “may seek to conjure up some extraneous crime, pertaining to my business, or maybe not even pertaining to the 2016 election. So I am prepared, should that be the case.”“I can guarantee you they have found no evidence whatsoever of Russian collusion, nor trafficking of allegedly hacked emails with WikiLeaks,” Stone said. But, he added, it was not “inconceivable” that investigators “may seek to conjure up some extraneous crime, pertaining to my business, or maybe not even pertaining to the 2016 election. So I am prepared, should that be the case.”
Overnight, several media outlets named an FBI source who allegedly informed the bureau about the Trump campaign. Trump has described the story as “bigger than Watergate”. Warner said attempts to reveal the identity of the informant were “irresponsible” and “potentially illegal”. Several media outlets named an FBI source who allegedly informed the bureau about the Trump campaign. Trump has described the story as “bigger than Watergate”. Warner said attempts to reveal the identity of the informant were “irresponsible” and “potentially illegal”.
“Publicly outing a source risks not only their life but the lives of every American,” he wrote on Twitter on Friday. “Publicly outing a source risks not only their life but the lives of every American,” he wrote on Twitter.
Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, Warner spoke of an “ongoing assault by the president and his allies on the FBI and department of justice”, which he said “leads to an area where people get to decide which laws they want to follow and which they don’t”. Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Warner spoke of an “ongoing assault by the president and his allies on the FBI and department of justice”, which “leads to an area where people get to decide which laws they want to follow and which they don’t”. That, he said, was “dangerous, dangerous territory”.
That, the senator said, was “dangerous, dangerous territory”. Trump did not take heed. He tweeted: “I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes - and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!”
Trump-Russia investigationTrump-Russia investigation
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
RussiaRussia
Donald Trump JrDonald Trump Jr
US politicsUS politics
New York TimesNew York Times
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content