Don Jr. Meeting Scandal Sequential Order of Events
July 11, 2017, 3:00 pm
As this story continues to unfold events have transpired quickly, at an almost dizzying speed. Context is sometimes hidden in the details of when and why. Many are enthralled by the raw information that is coming out, while some portions of the media will be quick capitalize on that interest while stoking drawn out fixation on individual details, which has a way of causing confusion while missing the finer points entirely. As new information comes out it is important to understand the actions and reactions of the President and his proxies in light of their individual moments, because this is perhaps one of the finest ways to sift out truth among an avalanche of unabashed lies.
July 8, 2017
1 - The New York Times contacts the White House and Donald Trump Jr. asking for a comment on a story they are about to publish that will report DTJ accepted a meeting with Kremlin agent Natalia V.
Staff discuss the situation while the President is occupied in G20 matters.
2 - Staff prepare to present a response strategy to the President on Air Force One upon departure from the G20, however before they can President Trump demands the response claim the meeting was about adoption policy. Later,
3 - The NYT publishes the story.
July 9, 2017
1 - The NYT contacts DTJ again to inform him they are going to now report that he accepted the meeting with Natalia V. based on a promise of receiving information on Hillary Clinton.
2 - DTJ gives a statement elaborating that the meeting was pretensed on a promise of damaging information against Clinton, and that it was set up through an intermediary.
3 - The NYT moves forward and publishes the story.
4 - Rob Goldstone confirms he was the intermediary who set up the meeting, and the pretense he'd been given for the meeting request.
July 10, 2017
NBC News conducts a recorded interview with Natalia V. in which she provides false statements claiming that the Trump campaign requested the meeting and desperately asked her for damaging information about Hillary Clinton. This appears to be an attempt by Russian intelligence to inflict mild damage against President Trump as a power maneuver.
July 11, 2017
1 - NBC News airs portions of the Natalia V. interview.
2 - Immediately after Natalia V's statements are aired, President Trump summons a family business meeting.
This series of communications continues throughout the morning and into the afternoon. White House staff not personally associated with the President are shut out of any access to the President durin this time.
3 - During this ongoing meeting the NYT again contacts DTJ, at approximately 11:00 am, describing the contents of his emails with Goldstone leading up to the Natalia V. meeting, stating that the paper will report those contents.
4 - Partly attempting to counter-maneuver the Kremlin for positioning, and partly in response to the NYT, DTJ (under the President's watch) proves Natalia V. is lying by releasing the full email exchange between himself and Goldstone. In the process he unobservantly reveals incontrovertible evidence that the Trump campaign willingly met with an agent of the Russian government for assistance in the election.