Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday tweeted what he said was the full email correspondence between himself and the music publicist who arranged a meeting in June 2016 at Trump Tower with a Russian attorney who the publicist said would provide damaging information about the soon-to-be Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Shortly after, Democrats lined up to criticize Trump, who in the emails appeared to try to arrange an exchange of information with a lawyer he understood to be connected to the Russian government.
Republicans largely have stayed quiet on the latest revelations, instead focusing on trying to postpone the August recess to pass their healthcare bill. No Republican senator had tweeted about the emails as of Tuesday evening, but Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham commented.
Here is a roundup of senators’ reactions to Trump’s emails:
This story is developing; we will add reactions from lawmakers of both parties as they release statements.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina: “Anytime you’re in a campaign and you get an offer from a foreign government to help your campaign, the answer is ‘no.’ … Definitely, he has to testify. That email is disturbing.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham says the email chain released by Donald Trump Jr. is "disturbing" https://t.co/V2xFUS9ENx https://t.co/KGrOqI8IqF
— CNN (@CNN) July 11, 2017
Sen. John McCain, Republican from Arizona: "There'll be many more shoes that will drop. ... It's certainly another shoe that's dropped that needs to be pursued and looked at."
Sen. McCain: "There will be many more shoes that will drop." https://t.co/jkXlPkRXKE
— Meg Wagner (@megwagner) July 11, 2017
Sen. Tim Kaine, Democrat from Virginia and Hillary Clinton's running mate: "This should have set off alarm bells and red lights and instead what it seemed to do is it activated their salivary glands. ... This is just wheelbarrows full of new evidence for the special prosecutor and the Senate Intelligence Committee."
Tim Kaine tells @mitchellreports: Don Trump Jr. emails are “very explosive … wheelbarrows full of new evidence for the special prosecutor” pic.twitter.com/aOwsPIYPZu
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 11, 2017
Tim Kaine: "We're now beyond obstruction of justice...this is moving into perjury, false statements, and even into potentially treason." pic.twitter.com/yZ0vuX6mul
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 11, 2017
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Democrat from California: "What we know so far about these emails is deeply disturbing. They appear to show direct coordination between the Trump campaign and possibly the Russian government itself. ... We need to have Donald Trump Jr. and other individuals come before the committee, in open session, as soon as possible."
Many questions to be answered about Trump emails. Judiciary Committee needs to move quickly. https://t.co/9N2RYDRbOn
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) July 11, 2017
Sen. Ed Markey, Democrat from Massachusetts: "That proves that there was an attempt at collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign."
Collusion? pic.twitter.com/yfyPJfPSvh
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) July 11, 2017
Just saying https://t.co/KvyUzjegLD
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) July 11, 2017
Sen. Brian Schatz, Democrat from Hawaii, called out Republicans for staying quiet on the emails.
Maybe this is just exactly what it looks like.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 11, 2017
Has any elected Republican said anything brave today? Oh, never mind.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) July 11, 2017
Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat from Connecticut, amended an earlier tweet saying he would focus on healthcare reform this week.
Oh my.
I'm moving Russia/Trump Jr. up a notch. https://t.co/UJnFybNogx
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) July 11, 2017
Sen. Ron Wyden, Democrat from Oregon: It's "no longer a question that the Trump campaign sought to collude with a hostile foreign power to subvert American democracy."
No longer a question that the Trump campaign sought to collude with a hostile foreign power to subvert American democracy.
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) July 11, 2017
It is now incumbent on elected officials of both parties to stand up & do their duty: protect & defend the constitution.
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) July 11, 2017
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat from Minnesota: "The words speak for themselves."
Can't add much to this. The words speak for themselves: Russian Dirt on Clinton? ‘I Love It,’ Donald Trump Jr. Said https://t.co/50go7Vywld
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) July 11, 2017
Sen. Dick Durbin, Democrat from Illinois, accused Trump of violating federal law.
ATTN Donald Trump Jr: Federal law prohibits “a person to solicit, accept, or receive a contribution or donation… from a foreign national”
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) July 11, 2017
“Contribution” includes “anything of value made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office.”
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) July 11, 2017
Sen. Jeff Merkley, Democrat from Oregon, called it "an effort to communicate, cooperate, and collude with the Russian government."
This sure looks like an effort to communicate, cooperate, and collude with the Russian government. RT if you agree. pic.twitter.com/F115bBbi4Y
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) July 11, 2017
Sen. Patrick Leahy, Democrat from Vermont: Special counsel Robert Mueller and Congress "MUST sort thru the shifting denials, changed stories & cascading lies about Trump team's contacts w Russia."
Sp. Counsel Mueller & Congress MUST sort thru the shifting denials, changed stories & cascading lies about Trump team’s contacts w Russia
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) July 11, 2017
A foreign adversary manipulated our elections and undermined our democracy. We must learn exactly what happened so it never happens again.
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) July 11, 2017
Sen. Martin Heinrich, Democrat from New Mexico, called Trump's emails a "criminal conspiracy" and demanded the security clearance of White House adviser Jared Kushner, who attended the meeting with the lawyer, be reconsidered.
These are the outlines of a criminal conspiracy. https://t.co/1SsqIynpcI
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) July 11, 2017
Note that entire chain was forwarded to Kushner & Manafort implicates them in knowing a Russian operative was promising derogatory HRC info
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) July 11, 2017
Kushner should be barred from receiving any more classified material until a full investigation is completed. #Classified101
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) July 11, 2017
52 USC § 30121 seems particularly relevant today. #TrumpRussia pic.twitter.com/8WadlbiorG
— Martin Heinrich (@SenatorHeinrich) July 11, 2017
Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat from Virginia, went on a Twitter rant: "This is black and white: Trump officials at the highest levels knew Russia was working to aid Donald Trump & welcomed Russia's interference."
This is black and white: Trump officials at the highest levels knew Russia was working to aid Donald Trump & welcomed Russia's interference.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 11, 2017
We now know the denials of contacts with Russians that we've heard during the campaign, transition & administration are all patently false.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 11, 2017
There are no excuses for what we’ve seen in the last 24 hours. Lying is not a rookie mistake.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 11, 2017
For all the denials we’ve heard from the administration, for anyone who’s said there’s smoke but no fire, I’m curious what they’ll say now.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 11, 2017
This investigation will move forward in a bipartisan way. We need to follow the facts wherever they lead.
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 11, 2017
Sen. Maria Cantwell, Democrat from Washington, wants Trump to explain his actions.
— Sen. Maria Cantwell (@SenatorCantwell) July 11, 2017
Sen. Mazie Hirono, Democrat from Hawaii, called the emails "evidence of collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia.
When @realDonaldTrump said show us the evidence of collusion, I have to say, I didn't expect his son to answer. https://t.co/yqzbZFkmM8
— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) July 11, 2017
Sen. Jack Reed, Democrat from Rhode Island: "We may not know every detail and there may be more to come, but no American citizen can look at these emails and see anything other than an utter lack of respect for the American people."
My statement on Donald Trump Jr.’s outrageous emails & engagement with a person he believed to be a ‘Russian government attorney’: pic.twitter.com/Kms8v3FVmY
— Senator Jack Reed (@SenJackReed) July 11, 2017
Sen. Ben Cardin, Democrat from Maryland, urged the House to pass the bill that the Senate already passed to impose more sanctions on Russia for interfering with the US election.
Today's @DonaldJTrumpJr emails reconfirm #Russia sought to infiltrate our election. @HouseGOP must pass my Russia sanctions bill – now.
— Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) July 11, 2017
Instead of welcoming the #Russian government into their campaign, the Trump team should have immediately notified the @FBI. Period. https://t.co/uhNgfekzBc
— Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) July 11, 2017
This is extremely serious. Proof that @DonaldJTrumpJr clearly understood the intent of this meeting & sought to work w/ a foreign adversary. https://t.co/uhNgfe2YcC
— Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) July 11, 2017