Donald Trump Jr. gathered members of campaign for meeting with Russian lawyer before election

Circa ^ | 8 Jul 17 | Sara A. Carter and John Solomon

[Fedora]

Good questions. Towards answering them, here's what the DNC included regarding Russia in its Trump opposition file, titled "Donald Trump Report: Democratic National Committee: Submitted 12/19/15", leaked by Wikileaks around mid-June 2016. These are recommended talking points to use against Trump, and we know from this document that the DNC was circulating them by December 2015. We also know that between the time this document was initially submitted and the time it was leaked, Christopher Steele's opposition research on Trump--originally put together for Trump's GOP primary opponents--had been sold to the DNC and was also being shopped to the FBI and other interested parties:

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TRUMP CLAIMED HE WOULD GET ALONG “VERY WELL” WITH PUTIN AND SAID HE WAS A GOOD LEADER Donald Trump Said Russian President Vladimir Putin Is Getting An “A” For His Leadership. “During their interview Tuesday night, O’Reilly pressed Trump on his recently released tax plan and about Russian President Vladimir Putin supporting Syrian President

Bashar al Assad. ‘I think in terms of leadership, he’s getting an A and our president is not doing so well—they did not look good together,’ Trump said before adding that there’s ‘very little downside’ to Putin fighting ISIS in Syria.” [Politico, 9/29/15; The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 9/19/15]

Trump Said He And Putin Would Get Along “Very Well.” “‘Putin – who I would get along with very well… he can’t stand Obama,’ Trump said, commenting on his ability to get along very well with people.” [Breitbart, 8/11/15; Genesee and Saginaw Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner, 8/11/15]

Trump: Putin “Is Doing A Great Job.”

TRUMP: “If you look at what's happened with this country in terms of the prestige and all of the other great things that we -- we're losing it rapidly. Now, they're talking about China. They're talking about Russia. They're talking about India. Look at Putin -- what he's doing with Russia -- I mean, you know, what's going on over there. I mean this guy has done -- whether you like him or don't like him -- he's doing a great job.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 10/15/07]

TRUMP ON PUTIN’S MILITARY DECISIONS: “HE DOES WHAT HE HAS TO DO”

Donald Trump: When Vladimir Putin Rolls In Soldiers To Cause Destruction And Shoots Down Airplanes, “Well, He Does What He Has To Do.”

TRUMP: “[Putin] is not representing us. He is representing Russia. So, I mean, you know, if he can make a deal because we have stupid leadership, I would say it's the right thing to do for Russia.”

BILL O’REILLY: “But he doesn’t make deals he just rolls soldiers in to cause destruction and shoots down airplanes. What did you think when Rubio said —

“ TRUMP: “Well, he does what he has to do.” [The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 11/11/15]