GOP Congressman: I Wouldn’t Have Attended the Russia Meeting

Republican Rep. Will Hurd of Texas said Monday that he would not have taken a meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, countering President Donald Trump’s claim that “most politicians” would have made the same decision as his son to attend a meeting with a Russian attorney promising information on Hillary Clinton.

“I spent nine and half years as an undercover officer in the CIA — a lot of that chasing Russian intelligence officers. I definitely would not have sat down with anybody claiming to part of the Kremlin or Russian intelligence,” Hurd told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I just hope everyone connected with the campaign has reviewed their Outlook files and made sure all the details are out there now because this is becoming a nuisance and a distraction from some of the conversations we should be having.”

President Trump tweeted on Monday that his son’s meeting during the presidential campaign was just “politics.” “Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That’s politics!” he said.

Hurd, who sits on the House permanent select committee on intelligence, said he thinks Donald Trump Jr. knew beforehand that the meeting would be with a Russian government official, but he said he would “withhold judgment” until he gets more information.