President Trump On Son's Russia Ties: He 'Is a High-Quality Person'

WASHINGTON, DC — Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave a little in the way of a defense on Tuesday at an off-camera press briefing for Donald Trump Jr., who has found himself at the latest firestorm around his father's campaign's ties to the Russian government.

The White House faced questions since the weekend about the continuing revelations around Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign. According to a Monday night report from the New York Times, Trump Jr. was told that the meeting would provide campaign aid from the Russian government. But just a few hours before the briefing, Trump Jr. posted copies of the emails that preceded the meeting, which confirmed that he knew in June 2016 that the Russian government was working to help Trump become president.

"My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency," the deputy White House Press secretary said, delivering a statement from the president at the start of the briefing.

Asked later if the president was aware that his son only released the copies of the emails because otherwise the New York Times would have published them, she said, "I'm not sure... I'd have to check.

Watch: Trump Statement: Son Is 'High-Quality Person'

"And beyond that, I'm going to have to refer everything on this matter to Don Jr.'s counsel and outside counsel, and won't have anything else to add beyond that today," she said.

She said she does not know when the last time the president spoke to Trump Jr. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. For more coverage on Trump Jr.'s email revelations, read more on Patch.)

Asked if the president still wants to cooperate, and have his family cooperate, with the Russia investigation, Sanders said, "Absolutely. That's never changed since day one. We'd love to get this matter closed and focus on the big priorities of the American people."

“I stand by everything I said yesterday," she said, according to Steve Herman of VOA News. The day before, she said, "Don Jr. did not collude with anybody to influence the election." Asked if there were any more meetings between the Trump campaign and Russia, she said, “There’s nothing that I’m aware of at this time.”

She would not say what she meant when she used the word, "collude," referring the question to outside counsel.

Sanders said Trump is "frustrated with the process and the fact that this continues to be an issue," regarding the Russia investigation, according to Quartz's Heather Timmons.

The previous day, Sanders was asked about how Trump view the Russia-U.S. relationship, and she said she would get back to the press. On Tuesday, she said she didn't have time to ask the president.

Asked about the retaliatory measures the government has taken against Russia in response to its attempts to influence the election, Sanders said, "The president is committed to maintaining the existing sanctions against Russia." However, the Senate recently passed a bill with 98 percent support of additional sanctions against Russia, and the White House has not made clear where it stands on this issue. Some reports suggest administration officials are trying to quash the bill.

ALSO: Sen. Warner Wants Trump Jr.'s Account Of Meeting With Russian Lawyer

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