The White House and its media report that the Russian ambassador in Washington met last year during and after the election campaign with several of Donald Trump's advisors, including Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law. Jared Kushner met with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., in December of last year at Trump Tower: Donald Trump's building in New York, which was the site of meetings and consultations for the President-elect and his team for the transition of power. According to the White House, this meeting was a 'brief goodwill gesture' and Michael Flynn was also present. Mr. Flynn was appointed by Mr. Trump as National Security Advisor but resigned after it became clear that he had provided misleading information to the Vice President about his meeting with the Russian ambassador. At the same time as reports of his National Security Advisor's resignation surfaced, Donald Trump criticized the 'illegal leaking' of information. Mr. Kushner, along with his wife Ivanka Trump and two other sons of Donald Trump, Eric and Donald Jr., were members of the transition team. In addition to Kushner, the Associated Press and USA Today reported that Carter Page, a former foreign policy advisor to Trump, also spoke with Mr. Kislyak during a Heritage Foundation meeting, the same event where Jeff Sessions, the U.S. Attorney General, met with the Russian ambassador last summer. Mr. Sessions' meetings with the Russian ambassador elicited reactions from congressional representatives and ultimately led to his resignation from overseeing the investigation into 'Russian interference in the U.S. elections' on March 1. The President of the United States announced on Thursday that he has 'full confidence' in Jeff Sessions. He also stated that he was unaware of Mr. Sessions' connection with the Russian ambassador last year and does not believe the Attorney General should be removed from the 'Russian interference in the U.S. elections' case. Carter Page has stated, 'I have never done anything inappropriate in my dealings with Russia.' USA Today also reported that J.D. Gordon, the director of national security for the Trump campaign, also met with Sergey Kislyak at the same Heritage meeting. In this context, White House lawyers have asked employees not to destroy 'documents related to Russian interference.' The leader of the House Democrats has called for the Attorney General's resignation. The Kremlin stated that the Attorney General's issue harms the improvement of Washington-Moscow relations. The President of the United States: 'I have full confidence in Jeff Sessions.' The Attorney General of the United States has resigned from overseeing the case of 'Russian interference in the U.S. elections.'
Donald Trump's Son-in-Law Met with Russian Ambassador
Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the election campaign, raising concerns about connections between Trump's team and Russia. This meeting, described by the White House as a goodwill gesture, has led to significant political fallout, including the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and ongoing investigations into Russian interference in the U.S. elections.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Jared Kushner and other Trump advisors met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during and after the election campaign, leading to significant political repercussions, including the resignation of Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor. The White House described the meeting as a goodwill gesture.
- Kushner met with Kislyak at Trump Tower in December.
- Michael Flynn resigned after misleading information about his interactions with Kislyak came to light.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The meetings between Trump advisors and Russian officials have raised alarms about potential collusion and foreign interference in U.S. elections, leading to multiple investigations.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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