Trump Denies He Knew Beforehand of Meeting With Russian Lawyer

President responds to what his former lawyer Michael Cohen plans to tell special counsel Robert Mueller

President Trump on Friday said he had no prior knowledge of a June 2016 meeting his eldest son had with a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower, disputing an account that a person familiar with the matter says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is planning to tell the special counsel.

In a series of tweets Friday morning, Mr. Trump wrote, “So the Fake News doesn’t waste my time with dumb questions, NO, I did NOT know of the meeting with my son, Don jr.” He also took a shot at Mr. Cohen and Mr. Cohen’s lawyer, Lanny Davis.

.. “Sounds to me like someone is trying to make up stories in order to get himself out of an unrelated jam (Taxi cabs maybe?),” Mr. Trump wrote. “He even retained Bill and Crooked Hillary’s lawyer. Gee, I wonder if they helped him make the choice!”
.. Mr. Cohen is willing to tell Special Counsel Robert Mueller that he was present when the younger Mr. Trump informed his father about the meeting before it took place
.. Mr. Mueller is also examining statements issued by the younger Mr. Trump and the White House, with the president’s approval, that were initially misleading about the purpose of the Veselnitskaya meeting
..  Mr. Mueller is investigating whether the president and his aides sought to obstruct justice in releasing an initial statement that said the meeting focused only on adoptions.