President Trump defended the character of his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., after it was revealed that Don Jr. met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer expecting dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russian government.
FILE PHOTO: Donald Trump Jr. (C) hugs his father, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, as Donald Jr’s wife Vanessa (L) walks past after Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio U.S. July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File photo
President Trump posted several statements on Twitter — his preferred mode of communication — throughout the day on Tuesday, but remained silent on social media about the controversy swirling around his son until Tuesday evening. Trump noted that Sean Hannity’s interview with Don Jr. is scheduled to air on Fox News Tuesday night, adding what appeared to be rebuke to Democrats accused Jr. of “treason” for the meeting. (FACT CHECK: Did Donald Trump Jr. Commit Treason?)
“He is a great person who loves our country!” Trump said of Don Jr.
My son, Donald, will be interviewed by @seanhannity tonight at 10:00 P.M. He is a great person who loves our country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017
The president’s tweet echoed a statement he issued Tuesday afternoon, in which he said Don Jr. “is a high quality person.” (RELATED: Trump Weighs In On Don Jr. Email Chain: ‘My Son Is A High Quality Person’)
Vice President Mike Pence has sought to distance himself from the growing controversy around Don Jr.’s meeting, which was also attended by then-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, as well as current White House aide Jared Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law.
A written statement from Pence’s press secretary, Marc Lotter, specifically noted that the meeting took place before Pence joined the campaign as Trump’s running mate. (RELATED: Pence Distances Himself From Fallout Over Don Jr. Meeting)
“The Vice President is working every day to advance the President’s agenda, which is what the American people sent us here to do,” Lotter said. “The Vice President was not aware of the meeting. He is not focused on stories about the campaign, particularly stories before he joined the ticket.”