Two more Trump campaigners ‘spoke with Russian envoy’

Two campaign advisers to Donald Trump spoke with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak over the summer, US media reported Thursday night.

According to AP and Politico, foreign policy adviser Carter Page and national security adviser J.D. Gordon spoke with Kislyak at the same event where now-Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke with the envoy.

Several foreign diplomats attended the Heritage Foundation event on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in July.

In a statement, Page didn’t confirm the discussion took place but said he “never did anything improper in my activities related to Russia, both last year and throughout the quarter century that I have been traveling to that country.”

Meanwhile Trump on Thursday praised Sessions, and accused Democrats of conducting a “witch hunt” in their criticism of Sessions’ testimony about his contact with the Russian ambassador during the presidential campaign.

Sessions on Thursday recused himself from any investigation into Russian meddling in America’s 2016 presidential election. He acted after it was revealed that he twice spoke with the Russian ambassador during the campaign and failed to say so when pressed by Congress. Some Democrats are accusing him of lying and calling for him to step down.

In a statement Thursday night, Trump called Session “an honest man” who did nothing wrong. The president said Sessions “could have stated his response more accurately, but it was clearly not intentional.”

Trump said Democrats were trying to save face after losing the election, were overplaying their hand and had lost their grip on reality.

Trump said the real story was all of the “illegal leaks” of classified or other information. “This is a total witch hunt!”

The White House has stood behind Sessions, though officials said they first learned about his contacts with the ambassador from a reporter Wednesday night.

The Justice Department has maintained there was nothing improper about Sessions’ contacts or his answers to Congress, while the continuing allegations of Russian interference in American politics spurred Democratic calls for Sessions not only to recuse himself but to resign.

The news comes on the heels of what had been the high point of Trump’s young presidency: a well-received address to Congress Tuesday night that energized Republicans and appeared to wipe away some lawmakers’ concerns about the administration’s tumultuous start.

Trump has been trailed for months by questions about potential ties to Russia. He’s vigorously denied being aware of any contacts his associates had with Russia during the campaign and has also insisted he has no financial ties to Russia.