Publicist who set up Trump Tower meeting believes Don Jr ‘did it for daddy’

A British music publicist who set up the infamous Trump Tower meeting between top campaign staffers and a Russian attorney says he has little doubt Donald Trump was aware of the gathering.

Rob Goldstone said he was asked to set up the June 9, 2016, meeting by pop start Emin Agalarov on behalf of his father Aras Agalarov, one of Russia's wealthiest developers, and he admits he conveyed a "dirty offer," reported NBC News.

The publicist was surprised that Donald Trump Jr. included Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort in the meeting, which the candidate's son set up by phone, and he said the Agalarovs tried to arrange another meeting between the president-elect and Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya shortly after the November 2016 election.

Goldstone said special counsel Robert Mueller's team asked about his role in setting up the first meeting, and why the Agalarovs wanted to arrange the meetings, when he testified before a grand jury.

He also found it difficult to believe the elder Trump did not know his son, son-in-law and campaign chairman were meeting with the Russians, who he now believes had ties to Kremlin intelligence.

"It was taking place in his conference room and it was taking place with his campaign chair sitting and attending the meeting, as well as his son and his son-in-law," Goldstone said. "So, you know, the publicist in me would say, 'It's a bit of a stretch if he's a floor or two above to believe that he doesn't know it's going on.'"

Goldstone said he believes Emin Agalarov and Donald Trump Jr. set up the meeting for the same reason.

"It's like they did it for daddy, both of them," he said.