On Wednesday, Donald Trump Jr. testified before the House Intelligence Committee, during which he faced pertinent questions about his controversial June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. Despite the testimony’s occurring behind closed doors, word of Trump Jr.’s comments quickly spread to CNN, who now reports the eldest son of the president didn’t actually speak directly with his father when reports of the meeting first broke. Instead, Trump Jr. told House investigators he had actually communicated with none other than Hope Hicks, who now serves as the White House Communications Director.
In August, a Washington Post report indicated Trump Jr. had reached out to his father at the time, seeking advice for how to respond. The White House subsequently confirmed the Post‘s story, as Sarah Sanders told reporters the president “weighed in” on the matter, “like any father would do.” Per Trump Jr.’s testimony on Wednesday, howver, he didn’t actually communicate directly with his dad:
Instead, Trump Jr. said he was speaking to White House aide Hope Hicks about how to respond to the reports. He said President Donald Trump, according to the sources, was debating between a longer and a shorter statement while President Trump and Hicks were aboard Air Force One.
Hicks was aboard Air Force One and was speaking with Trump while the statement was being crafted.
Seeing as how Hicks was one of many Trump campaign officials reportedly wanted for questioning by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, Justice Department officials and others pursuing the matter will probably be interested to broach the Trump Tower meeting with Hicks in future conversations. If, of course, they haven’t already.
(Via CNN)