[John Vause, Cnn Anchor:] And thank you for staying with us. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause with the headlines. Donald Trump Jr. is defending his meeting with a Russian lawyer last year, told by getting damaging information on Hillary Clinton. He released e-mails to say which claimed the information was part of Russia and its government support to his father who is now the U.S. president. Meantime, Donald Trump arrived in Paris on Thursday where he could actually face questions about his son's meeting with that Russian lawyer. Mr. Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron will probably joint news conference later in the day. Early this hour expected to try and find common ground after disagreeing on issues like climate change and immigration. Qatar is promising to fight terrorism and stop those who finance it in a new agreement signed with a U.S. A number of Gulf States have isolated Qatar for over a month now accusing the country supporting terrorism. Thursday they say the agreement is a good first step but not enough to ease their concerns. So, with a reality T.V. star in the White House perhaps on entirely a surprise over Russian pop singer is playing a key role in the latest Trump controversy. His name is Emin Agalarov and he recently posted a picture of himself on Instagram with the caption, finally, sunshine, what news. He and his father have been in the news quite a bit for their tie to the U.S. president. Here is CNN's Ivan Watson.
[Ivan Watson, Cnn International Correspondent:] Believe it or not this pop music video is at the center of a political controversy that's riling Washington. A Russian pop star, miss universe contestants and a celebrity cameo.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] What's wrong with you Emin? You're fired. [voice-over]: The Russian pop star Emin is now one of a colorful collection of Trump associates linked to a controversial meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer. Trump Jr. says, he met the lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya for the first time June 9th, 2016 in New York. She spent years lobbying against the Magnitsky Act, U.S. legislation that punishes Russians implicated in human rights abuses and corruption. She promoted this documentary film aimed at undermining the law. Veselnitskaya meeting with Trump Jr. organized by Rob Goldstone a British P.R. agent in the music industry, and once a judge on the Trump owned Miss USA Beauty Pageant. Goldstone told CNN Veselnitskaya stated she quote, Had some information regarding illegal campaign contributions to the DNC which she believed Mr. Trump Jr. might find important. In an interview Tuesday, Veselnitskaya denied working for the Russian government. Goldstone says he set up the meeting at the request of his client, the singer named Emin. Emin partnered with Trump in hosting the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in Moscow in 2013. A year later, Trump sent Emin a video message on his birthday.
[Trump:] You're a winner. You're a champ. You're great at real estate and boy, can you entertain. [voice-over]: Emin boasted of his close ties to the Trumps last year on Russian State
[T.v. Emin Agalarov, Russian Pop Star:] His daughter, Ivanka was in this office two years ago when we discussed the Trump Tower project. I met many times with the sons, Eric and Donald. We message each other constantly. [voice-over]: In addition to music, Emin is an executive at Crocus Group, a real estate company run by his billionaire father Aras Agalarov. The patriarch is an associate of Trump. This Trump tweet in 2013 suggests they had plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. The billionaire Russian businessman also has ties to the Kremlin. In 2013 he received a medal of honor from Vladimir Putin. In e-mails published by Trump Jr., Goldstone wrote that the father met with a Russian prosecutor and wanted to share sensitive information to help Trump's campaign. Now, these alleged attempts to meddle in U.S. politics may have landed this Russian businessman in hot water.
[Trump:] What's wrong with you Emin? Emin
[Vause:] And CNN's Matthew Chance managed to track down the Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr.
[Matthew Chance, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Well, the Russian lawyer who met Donald Trump's son says she offered no compromising information about Hillary Clinton despite e-mails showing that Donald Trump, Jr. was keen to accept sensitive information from her. Natalia Veselnitskaya says she arranged the meeting which took place at Trump Tower in New York last June to lobby for the repeal of the U.S. Magnitsky Act, which targets Russian officials accused of corruption and human rights abuses. The Kremlin banned U.S. adoptions of Russian children in retaliation, which she also wants overturned. Well, we caught up with Veselnitskaya as the explosive e- mails sent to Trump Jr. by a British music publicist to arrange the meeting were made public. Take a listen.
[Chance:] Was it real it the Kremlin that sent you to lobby to Trump?
[Natalia Veselnitskaya, Russian Attorney:] Just a second. When it was suggested that I meet with Donald Trump, Jr., I met him in a private situation. It was a private meeting, not related at all to the fact that he was the son of the candidate. And the whole story which I had was spelled out. It was the same for everyone, including for Donald Trump, Jr., who having listened to my story didn't understand based on our conversation how he could help me.
[Chance:] Is that what it was? A way of getting a meeting? Was that was it a way? Was it a way? Is that why? So, Veselnitskaya denies offering compromising information to the Trump campaign, and being sent to New York on the orders of the Russian government. The Kremlin also denies any connection with this lawyer, saying they don't even know who she is. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
[Vause:] When Donald Trump Jr. posted those e-mails on Twitter, many were less stunned. A brief almost universal jaw dropping moment which is quickly followed by a lot of legal experts by a mean the president's son may have committed a crime. But exactly, what law could he have broken? A closer look at the legal jeopardy facing Trump Jr., CNN contributor and former ethics down at the Obama Administration, Neil Mason, joins us now from Washington. Neil, it's always god to see you.
[Neil Mason, Cnn Contributor:] John, nice to be here again.
[Vause:] OK. Let's look at the big picture first specifically with regards to what we now know in those e-mails about from Donald Trump Jr., do those e-mails relate to perjury, violation of campaign finance laws or, you know, some have even suggested possibly treason?
[Mason:] Well, John, when I was in law school, they used to give us for examinations complicated hypotheticals that potentially implicated a variety of laws and this is one. The e-mails of course show Donald Trump Jr. embracing an offer which the e-mails indicate, are coming from the Russian government to help the Trump campaign and hurt the Hillary campaign. The most likely criminal violation that's shown and it's still too soon to say if there was a violation. But the most likely is a campaign finance law violation. That's because under U.S. law, campaigns are not allowed to solicit help from foreign governments or foreign individuals in the form of contributions whether that's contributions of cash or what we call in-kind contributions. So there is a serious issue there. And there are a variety of other legal questions as well.
[Vause:] OK. So, with the campaign finance Lawrence Meyers specifically June 3rd last year. The e-mails show that Trump Jr. was promised information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be useful to your father. And that was in one of the e-mails. And just to avoid any doubt whether information was coming from the e-mail is going to say, this is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump. Seventeen minutes later, Donald Jr. replies, if it's what you say, I love it especially later in the summer. So explain why that is so significant.
[Mason:] Well, from a campaign finance law perspective and a variety of other perspectives as well. What you have is a foreign government saying, hey, we're going to help. This is evidence of the much talked about collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. It's not this positive evidence. It's not final evidence. But it's another piece in the puzzle. And potentially could see some serious penalties levied, including criminal ones.
[Vause:] OK. Getting back to the campaign finance laws and in particular what it means to receive something a value, essentially there seems to be an exemption here. That same law goes on to say, 'the value of services provided without compensation by any individual who volunteers on behalf of a candidate or a political committee is not a contribution. Some have sort of argued that maybe this means information offered up is not something a value and that might be the exemption for Donald Trump Jr.
[Mason:] Well, certainly the argument has been made. I think the better view. The majority view is that that exception is not intended to cover opposition research or other dirty tricks by a foreign government. Think about it, John. If it were, it would be a loophole large enough to drive a truck through. You'll have candidates soliciting foreign government help all over the world. So the law is not there's an argument about it. But the majority view is that that exception does not apply in this case.
[Vause:] OK. Last month President Trump twitted out this, the reason that President Obama did nothing about Russia after being notified by the CIA of meddling is that he expected Clinton would win and did not want to rock the boat. He didn't choke. He colluded or obstructed. And it did the dems and crooked Hillary no good. Could the president come to regret that tweet? He's essentially saying collusion is knowing that something illegal is going on and doing nothing to stop it.
[Mason:] I do think that when the history of the age of the Trumps is written, it'll show that Twitter did them some good but did them a lot of harm. In those tweets, Donald Trump Sr. is essentially implicating Donald Trump Jr. after the information we have today. President Trump has done plenty in his Twitter account to harm himself, including creating evidence of the obstruction of justice charges that are now being investigated reportedly in connection with the president's firing of Jim Comey. Now, we have tweets that may come back to harm President Trump's son. Neil, as always good to see you and I'm sure we will speak again before it's too long. Thanks for having me, John.
[Vause:] A year on since she became British Prime Minister, Theresa May is now attempting a kind of re-launch. Mrs. May has faced widespread criticism within her party after a gamble on an early election backfired. This speech Tuesday she said, she recognizes voter's frustrations.
[Theresa May, British Prime Minister:] A clear understanding that E.U. referendum result was not just a vote to leave The European Union but a deeper and more profound call for change across our country. I believe that at the heart of that change must lay a commitment to greater fairness in our country as we tackle the in justices and best of interests that threaten to hold us backed and make Britain a country that it works for everybody, not just the privileged few.
[Vause:] Mrs. May is looking to show up her position as prime minister before publishing the great repeal bill on Thursday. The legislation is a critical first step to replacing European law in the United Kingdom. Just a few hours from now, Spain's king and queen will begin a state visit to the U.K. the first for Spanish monarch in 31 years. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will greet them with a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards parade. Later they will attend a state banquette at Buckingham Palace. Well coming up, a new study with the catastrophic outlook for the world's wildlife, why scientist think the planet might just be in the midst or a mass extinction event.