Carl Bernstein, the veteran journalist who helped uncover the Watergate scandal, argued it would be “very, very damaging” if President Trump knew of Donald Trump Jr.’s 2016 Trump Tower meeting, despite the fact Trump said he was unaware of the meeting ahead of time.
“It would be a stunning development if the president of the United States — then about to become the nominee of his party — knew of that meeting in advance because the meeting itself that did take place suggests a kind of collusion in the sense that those present expected to receive information from the Russian participants,” Bernstein said during a CNN appearance Friday.
“If the president knew about this in advance, it is a very, very damaging piece of information, especially while he and his campaign are under investigation by the special prosecutor,” Bernstein added.
The comments come after CNN reported Thursday that Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen said Trump knew that his son and campaign officials were going to meet with Russians in an effort to obtain damaging information on 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
Cohen is also open to disclose that information to special counsel Robert Mueller as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.
But Trump has continued to deny that he was aware of the meeting.
“NO, I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don Jr.,” Trump tweeted Friday morning. “Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam.”
[Emails: Lawyer who met Trump Jr. tied to Russian officials]
