Secret Service shoots down Trump camp's attempt to blame them for Russia meeting

In several Sunday morning news show appearances, Trump’s lawyer, Jay Sekulow, argued that the Secret Service “allowed these people in,” and claimed that this meant that the meetings were not “nefarious.”

But in a statement to Reuters, a Secret Service spokesperson flatly rejected the smear from Sekulow:

Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time.

The Secret Service provides protection and security for Trump and his family. Using them as a political fall guy is an extremely strange and unusual step for the administration to take.

And once again, this episode shows the Trump team lying about what took place, and attempting to blame anyone else but themselves for their own actions.

Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort all met with Russians while in their role as Trump campaign principals, trying to dig up dirt on Hillary Clinton. The meeting is evidence of a pattern of collusion with Russia in trying to influence the outcome of the presidential election.

Trump is now attempting to ease sanctions imposed on Russia, and if he is doing so to pay back Russia for its campaign behavior, it could constitute a “serious crime,” according to Rep. Adam Schiff, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Trump and his team are trying to play the blame game because they have been caught in the act, and they have landed on a new random target — but the Secret Service isn’t playing along with their false reality.