Did Donald Trump Jr. collude with Wikileaks during the election?
Does a suspiciously timed tweet make for collusion?
Monday, Donald Trump Jr. published a series of tweets which included screen shots of Twitter private messages between himself and Wikileaks.
According to a report in The Atlantic, the messages, along with thousands of documents were turned over by Trump Jr.’s lawyers to the congressional committee investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election.
The president’s son claimed someone on the committee had “selectively leaked” the conversation to the media and proceeded to publish the conversations.
By the looks of it, Trump was peppered with messages from Wikileaks, and as he pointed out, only responded three times.
Those tweets are here:
Here is the entire chain of messages with @wikileaks (with my whopping 3 responses) which one of the congressional committees has chosen to selectively leak. How ironic! 1/3 pic.twitter.com/SiwTqWtykA
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 14, 2017
2/3 pic.twitter.com/b1B9PBGl5t
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 14, 2017
3/3 pic.twitter.com/5FdeNrbg02
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 14, 2017
Given Wikileaks role in publishing classified information, Trump would’ve been better off blocking or at least ignoring their requests for link love. But, he didn’t. Definitely not his brightest moment.
Several outlets have honed in on the fact that right around the time Trump was responding to Wikileaks, Vice President to be Mike Pence was asked wether the campaign was “in cahoots” with Wikileaks. Pence responded saying, “nothing could be further from the truth.”
Pence may have known Trump Jr. was being inundated with messages from Wikileaks and fibbed, but that doesn’t seem likely. More likely? Pence was simply unaware. Frequent and unsolicited direct messages on a social media platform is not necessarily groundbreaking campaign news worthy of mass communication.
In examining Trump’s (Sr) tweets, Byron Tau of the Wall Street Journal found a troubling coincidence. Donald Trump tweeted about Wikileaks just 15 minutes after a request was sent to Trump Jr. via Twitter private message.
???? https://t.co/ZYk79Niw5a pic.twitter.com/3OpXf8ii1v
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) November 13, 2017
From The Atlantic:
“Strongly suggest your dad tweets this link if he mentions us,” WikiLeaks went on, pointing Trump Jr. to the link wlsearch.tk, which it said would help Trump’s followers dig through the trove of stolen documents and find stories. “There’s many great stories the press are missing and we’re sure some of your follows [sic] will find it,” WikiLeaks went on. “Btw we just released Podesta Emails Part 4.”
Trump Jr. did not respond to this message. But just 15 minutes after it was sent, as The Wall Street Journal’s Byron Tau pointed out, Donald Trump himself tweeted, “Very little pick-up by the dishonest media of incredible information provided by WikiLeaks. So dishonest! Rigged system!”
Two days later, on October 14, 2016, Trump Jr. tweeted out the link WikiLeaks had provided him. “For those who have the time to read about all the corruption and hypocrisy all the @wikileaks emails are right here: http://wlsearch.tk/,” he wrote.
After this point, Trump Jr. ceased to respond to WikiLeaks’s direct messages, but WikiLeaks escalated its requests.
Though enough evidence to raise an eyebrow, it’s hardly enough to prove collusion.
According to The Atlantic‘s report, Trump Jr. turned over thousands of documents to the congressional committee. If there was widespread collusion beyond two suspiciously timed tweets, they’ll find it. Though it will probably be leaked to the press first.
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Comments
Can I get fries with that Nothingburger ???
More trolling. I’m not sure if this is real, but it is definitely funny.
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/7cwzd2/julian_assange_dear_donaldjtrumpjr_our_offer_of/
There is absolutely nothing wrong, legally or morally, to pointing out publicly available info on a political opponent. If President Trump or Don Jr. had taken out ads linking to the info, still nothing wrong. No different legally or morally to New York times or WAPO publishing pentagon papers or Obama publicizing stolen sealed divorce records of his opponent.
I was wondering what law was passed that made it a criminal offense to reply to a message from Assange. I know he’s out of favor, but I didn’t know that just talking to him was a crime.
I get the idea from this article that “collusion” and “in cahoots” are now Federal offenses, at least when committed by Republicans.
The WaPo worked with the leaker to get the Pentagon papers, and it seems that Obama operatives got those divorce records, so there is quite a difference between those and Trump pointing to items already out in public.
This isn’t even a nothingburger.
Nothingburger Lite, maybe.
A Nothingturkeyburger, even. And we all know what a disappointment that can be when you’re just really in the mood for a Nothingburger.
Witch hunt, double standard, dnc standard operating procedure.
Plus this nuthin’burger is being pushed the hardest by RINOs….
What is this “collusion” stuff, anyhow? Is talking to someone a crime now?
When the English language means whatever somebody else wants it to mean, it’s hard to tell if it’s raining or Tuesday. Or even if one is coming or going.
It seems that in NewSpeak, when I tell the Verizon rep that I’m not signing up for Fios no matter how much junk mail advertising they send me, I can be accused of “colluding” with Big Business.
Wow, I’m a master criminal, and I didn’t even have to get out of my chair to do it.
This is the stupidest crap I’ve ever seen.
Liberals have lost their minds over this nonsense.
Do you imagine you are going to get us to give any credence to it now?? Really???
Hey, know what?? Don Jr. once bought gas at a Lukoil. COLLUSION!!! IMPEACH TRUMP!!!!!!
LOL! SMDH!!
Even if Junior and his dad both tweeted a link to Wikileaks, that hardly proves the “Russia rigged the election!!!” narrative the Left is still so pathetically trying to push. If anything, it shows how weak sauce that narrative is.
I suspect that what’s happening these days is the US bears a lot of resemblance to the prelude of the demise of the Roman empire.
It is so obvious: “This” can’t go on,not for much longer.
Next phase: Collapse of all civility, chaos.
I’m glad I’m old, wont have to stick around for what’s coming. But the kids, the grand kids!!!!
No wonder junior keeps a low profile – he is stupid- in way over his head playing in the swamp…