Trump’s Responses to Robert Mueller Published in Special Counsel Report

Trump’s Responses to Robert Mueller Published in Special Counsel Report
President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs the White House in Washington on April 5, 2019. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
Zachary Stieber
4/18/2019
Updated:
4/18/2019
President Donald Trump’s answers to questions posed by special counsel Robert Mueller’s team were included in Mueller’s report, which was released on April 18.
Mueller’s team asked the president dozens of questions focusing on a June 9, 2016, meeting that included Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who was working for Fusion GPS—the firm that helped produce the infamous Christopher Steele dossier at the center of the probe—and its founder, Glenn Simpson. Veselnitskaya met with the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., and several others.

Mueller asked Trump when he was told about the possibility of the meeting taking place, of the scheduling of the meeting, and when he learned that some of the individuals attending the meeting were Russian or had affiliations with the Russian government.

He was also asked what he was told about what was discussed at the meeting.

Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in Moscow on Nov. 8, 2016. (Yury Martyanov/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in Moscow on Nov. 8, 2016. (Yury Martyanov/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson in the Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill, where he testified before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committee on Oct. 16, 2018. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson in the Rayburn Office Building on Capitol Hill, where he testified before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committee on Oct. 16, 2018. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

“I have no recollection of learning at the time that Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, or Jared Kushner was considering participating in a meeting in June 2016 concerning potentially negative information about Hillary Clinton,” Trump wrote. “Nor do I recall learning during the campaign that the June 9, 2016, meeting had taken place.”

Trump was then asked, for the period of June 6–June 9, 2016, when he was in Trump Tower and where the meeting took place. He was asked if spoke with his son, Paul Manafort, or Jared Kushner on June 9, and if he did, to describe the substance of the conversations.

Trump said that he doesn’t recollect what portion of the four days he was in Trump Tower. “This was one of many busy months during a fast-paced campaign,” he wrote. His campaign’s calendar indicates that he was in New York City for the days and had various calls and meetings scheduled in calendars kept in the tower, indicating that he was inside the building “during a portion of each of these working days.” He stayed at his apartment in the tower while he was in the city.

Trump noted that media reports, including television footage, show portions of what he did during those days, including giving victory remarks on June 7, 2016, at the Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, New York.

Donald Trump Jr. attends the Zang Toi runway show in Gallery II in Spring Studios during New York Fashion Week, in New York City. on Feb. 13, 2019. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images)
Donald Trump Jr. attends the Zang Toi runway show in Gallery II in Spring Studios during New York Fashion Week, in New York City. on Feb. 13, 2019. (Manny Carabel/Getty Images)
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, leaves Federal District Court in Washington on Nov. 2, 2017. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, leaves Federal District Court in Washington on Nov. 2, 2017. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)
Later, Trump was asked about his July 27, 2016, statement at a press conference during which the candidate said, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”

Trump responded that he was being sarcastic.

“I made the statement ... in jest and sarcastically, as was apparent to any objective observer,” he said. “The context of the statement is evidence in the full reading or viewing of the press conference, and I refer you to the publicly available transcript and video of that press conference.”

Trump said that he does not recall being told during the campaign of any efforts by Russia to hack Clinton or her campaign prior to the alleged hack being reported in the media.

He also said that he does not recall having any discussion during the campaign regarding a pardon or action to benefit Julian Assange, the founder and head of Wikileaks.