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WASHINGTON – Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, said "happy that it's finally over" after speaking to the Senate Intelligence Committee for about three hours on Wednesday.
Trump Jr. said he was happy to clarify the answers from an interview with committee staff in 2017, but told reporters, "I do not think I have changed anything that I'm going to do." I said because there was nothing to change. "
Senators wanted to discuss the answers that Trump Jr. had given at the 2017 interview, as well as the answers he had provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee during a separate in camera interview this morning. year. He appeared in response to a subpoena of the Republican chairman of the committee, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, as part of the investigation of the committee on the interference of Russia.
In February, former presidential attorney, Michael Cohen, had testified before a House committee that he had briefed Trump Jr. about 10 times about a construction project. a Trump tower in Moscow. But Trump Jr. told the judiciary that he was only "peripheral" aware of the real estate proposal.
The panel was also interested in discussions with him on other topics, including a 2016 campaign meeting in Trump Tower, New York, with a Russian lawyer who had aroused the interest of the special council, Robert Mueller. E-mails that preceded the meeting promised to mess up Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump's opponent. Mueller's report, released in April, reviewed the meeting but found only insufficient evidence to charge anyone with a crime.
Trump Jr. would not discuss details of the interview with the Senate, but said he would be happy to comply if clarification was needed.
"I'm glad it's finally over, we're able to make one more clarification on this, and I think the committee understands that," he said. When asked if he was worried about perjury, Trump Jr. replied "not at all".
He also noted that Cohen "is currently serving his sentence for lying to these same organs of investigation".
Cohen pleaded guilty last year for violating funding for an election campaign, lied to Congress and other crimes. He is currently serving a three-year sentence.
Trump Jr. said, "I'm glad it's finally over, we can clarify something, and I think the committee understands it." When asked if he was worried about perjury, Trump Jr. replied "not at all".
The testimony of Trump Jr. comes as the Intelligence Committee continued its two-year investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Some Republicans are increasingly agitated on the subject and Burr received a lot of criticism from his colleagues during the convocation. But he told his colleagues that Trump Jr. had retired from an interview twice, forcing the committee to act.
Neither Burr nor the largest Democrat on the panel, Senator Virginia War Warner, commented on the interview at the time of their departure.
The president said in May that he thought his son was being treated badly.
"It's really a difficult situation because my son has spent, I guess, more than 20 hours testifying about something that, according to Mueller, was 100% acceptable and that they now want that." He's testifying again, "Trump told the press. "I do not know why, I do not know why, but it seems very unfair to me."
It was the first known subpoena of a member of the immediate family of the president, and some Republicans went so far last month suggesting to Trump Jr. not to be there. comply.
Senator Thom Tillis, N. B. CR, in his home country, tweeted, "It's time to move on and start focusing on issues that matter to Americans." Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of the GOP's expert group, said he understands the frustration of Trump Jr. Republican Ted Cruz, a colleague from Cornyn Texas, said that the assignment does not make any sense. was not "necessary".
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell defended Mr. Burr, stating that "none of us tells his president how to run his committee."
Mr McConnell nevertheless said that he was eager to finish off the probe, which began in early 2017.
It is uncertain that the intelligence group will issue a final report. Last month, Burr told The Associated Press that he hoped to have completed the investigation by the end of the year.
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