Trump Officials on Whether There Was Russian Contacts During the 2016 Election
THEN
NOW
2016 – Oct 2017
March – Nov 2017
Contacts between Trump Campaign and Russians? #PaulManafort 7/24/16: "That’s absurd. And, you know, there’s no basis to it." » #TrumpJr 7/17: "We had a meeting in June 2016 ❲with a Russian lawyer❳." Click To Tweet
Trump Officials on Whether There Was Russian Contacts During the 2016 Election
2016 – Oct 2017
– Paul Manafort
July 24, 2016
Expanded quote: “No, there are not. That's absurd. And, you know, there's no basis to it.”
ABC News, July 24, 2016
'This Week' Transcript: Live from Philadelphia Democratic National Convention
– Hope Hicks
Nov 11, 2016
Expanded quote: “It never happened. There was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign.”
NBC News, Nov 11, 2016
Kremlin Says Russian Experts Met Trump Staff; Campaign Denies It
– Kellyanne Conway
Dec 18, 2016
Expanded quote: “Absolutely not… Those conversations never happened. I hear people saying it like it’s a fact on television. That is just not only inaccurate and false, but it’s dangerous. And—and it does undermine our democracy.”
CBS News, Dec 18, 2016
ace the Nation Transcript December 18, 2016: Conway, Kissinger, Donilon
– Jeff Sessions
Jan 10, 2017
Senate Attorney General Confirmation Hearing
CNN, Nov 11, 2014
Jeff Sessions' many denials on Russia, explained
– Mike Pence
Jan 15, 2017
Expanded quote: “Well, of course not. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.”
CBS News, Jan. 15, 2017
FLASHBACK: Mike Pence January 2017. Q: Did any Trump campaign member have contact with the Russians? Pence: “Of course not.” pic.twitter.com/uSgQMkpydv — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 9, 2017
Mike Pence says Trump adviser's contact with Russia was 'strictly coincidental'
– Carter Page
Feb 15, 2017
PBS Newshour interview
PBS, Feb 15, 2017
Former Trump adviser says he had no Russian meetings in the last year
– Donald Trump
- Feb 16, 2017
ABC News, Feb 16, 2017
"No. Not at all." – Pres. Trump in Jan. to @CeciliaVega on if he/anyone in campaign had contact with Russia leading up to/during campaign pic.twitter.com/VTMrNVRUmo — Good Morning America (@GMA) February 15, 2017
Good Morning America tweet
– Reince Priebus
Feb 19, 2017
Fox News Sunday interview
Fox News, Feb. 19, 2017
.@FoxNewsSunday: Chris Wallace’s full interview with WH Chief of Staff @Reince Priebus – Part 1. pic.twitter.com/uBS7nWcTqF — Fox News (@FoxNews) February 19, 2017
Reince Priebus on Flynn, Russia and President Trump's agenda
– Sarah Sanders
Feb 20, 2017
Expanded quote: “This is a nonstory because to the best of our knowledge, no contacts took place, so it’s hard to make a comment on something that never happened.”
New York Times, Feb 20, 2017
Contradicting Trump on Russia: Russian Officials
– Sean Spicer
Feb 24, 2017
Expanded quote: “Well, again, there are no connections to find out about. That’s the problem. I think, A, ❲Trump has❳ answered it forcefully. You can’t disprove something that doesn’t exist… there’s only so many times he can deny something that doesn’t exist.”
The White House, Feb 24, 2017
Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Sean Spicer
– Donald Trump Jr.
March 2017
Expanded quote: “Did I meet with people that were Russian? I’m sure, I’m sure I did. But none that were set up. None that I can think of at the moment. And certainly none that I was representing the campaign in any way, shape or form.”
New York Times, July 8, 2017
Trump Team Met With Lawyer Linked to Kremlin During Campaign
Trump Campaign contacts with Russians? #KellyanneConway 12/18/16: "Absolutely not… ❲Claims otherwise❳ undermine our democracy." » #JeffSessions 3/2/17: "I did meet one Russian official a couple of times." Click To Tweet
March – Nov 2017
Donald Trump Jr. –
July 9, 2017 -
Expanded quote: “I was asked to have a meeting…with an individual ❲Kremlin-connected lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya❳; who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign… I asked Jared ❲Kushner❳ and Paul ❲Manafort❳ to attend… We had a meeting in June 2016… the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton.”
New York Times, July 9, 2017
Donald Trump Jr.'s Two Different Explanations for Russian Meeting
Donald Trump Jr. –
July 9, 2017
Expanded quote: “I was asked to have a meeting…with an individual ❲Kremlin-connected lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya❳ who I was told might have information helpful to the campaign… I asked Jared ❲Kushner❳ and Paul ❲Manafort❳ to attend… We had a meeting in June 2016… the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton.”
New York Times, July 9, 2017
Donald Trump Jr.'s Two Different Explanations for Russian Meeting
Donald Trump Jr. –
July 10, 2017
Obviously I’m the first person on a campaign to ever take a meeting to hear info about an opponent… went nowhere but had to listen. https://t.co/ccUjL1KDEa
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 10, 2017
Jeff Sessions –
March 2, 2017 -
Expanded quote: “In retrospect, I should have slowed down and said, 'But I did meet one Russian official a couple of times, and that would be the ambassador.'”
Washington Post, March 2, 2017
Transcript of Jeff Sessions’s recusal news conference, annotated
Jeff Sessions –
March 2, 2017
Expanded quote: “The Russian ambassador ❲Sergey Kislyak❳ apparently sent a staffer to my office — I did not see him — and asked for a meeting, as so many of the ambassadors were doing. And we set up a time, as we did — as we normally did. And we met with him.”
Washington Post, March 2, 2017
Transcript of Jeff Sessions’s recusal news conference, annotated
Jeff Sessions –
Oct 18, 2017
Expanded quote: “It could have been that in that meeting in my office or at the convention, that some comment was made ❲to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak❳ about what Trump's positions were.”
C-SPAN, Oct 18, 2017
Justice Department Oversight Hearing (relevant remarks start at 1:06:45)
Jeff Sessions –
Nov 14, 2017
Expanded quote: “I do now recall that the March 2016 meeting at the Trump Hotel that Mr. Papadopoulos attended… I believe that I wanted to make clear to him that he was not authorized to represent the campaign with the Russian government or any other foreign government for that matter.”
CNN, Nov 14, 2017
Transcript: Continuing Coverage of House Judiciary Hearing. November 14, 2017
Carter Page –
March 2, 2017
All In With Chris Hayes interview
MSNBC (via Internet Archive), March 2, 2017
All In With Chris Hayes MSNBC March 2, 2017
Carter Page –
Nov 2, 2017
Expanded quote: “Any discussions I had ❲with Russian oil executive Andrey Baranov❳ was just about two old friends getting together to have a chat, you know - just kind of reconnecting.”
House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov. 2, 2017
Full text of 'Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence'
Carter Page –
(released 11/17) July 8, 2016
Communication to the Trump campaign obtained by the FBI. Expanded quote: “I'll send you guys a readout soon regarding some incredible insights and outreach I've received from a few Russian legislators and senior members of the Presidential administration here ❲in Moscow❳.”
House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of 'Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence'
Carter Page –
(released 11/17) July, 2016
Communication to the Trump campaign obtained by the FBI. Expanded quote: “In a private conversation, ❲Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkadiy❳ Dvorkovich expressed strong support for Mr. Trump and a desire to work together toward devising better solutions in response to the vast range of current international problems.”
House Intelligence Committee (via Internet Archive), Nov 2, 2017
Full text of 'Testimony of Carter Page Before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence'
Trump Campaign contacts with Russians? #MikePence 1/15/17: "Of course not…to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors." » #CarterPage 3/2/17: "I talked with ❲the Russian ambassador❳." Click To Tweet
March 26, 2019
- March 26, 2019
Kellyanne Conway: "The idea that any of us, and me as a campaign manager, would cheat, steal, lie, cut corners, talk to Russians, was an insult from the beginning." pic.twitter.com/FVAxjG0hMH
— The Hill (@thehill) March 26, 2019
