Russia Russia Russia

Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort meet with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower after being promised 'official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary.' The meeting was arranged by a Kremlin-connected intermediary who presented it as part of Russian government support for Trump. Trump Jr. initially claims the meeting was about adoptions, then later acknowledges it …

WikiLeaks releases nearly 20,000 emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee by Russian military intelligence (GRU). The emails show DNC staffers favoring Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the primary, causing massive internal Democratic Party strife. US intelligence agencies later conclude with 'high confidence' that Russia orchestrated the hack and provided the emails to WikiLeaks as part of an operation …

At a press conference in Doral, Florida, Trump directly invites Russia to hack Hillary Clinton's deleted emails: 'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.' The comment comes the same day WikiLeaks releases the first batch of DNC emails hacked by Russian intelligence. Trump later claims he was being 'sarcastic.' Intelligence agencies …

The CIA delivers a classified assessment to the Senate concluding that Russia intervened in the 2016 presidential election with the specific purpose of helping Donald Trump win. The assessment says Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the influence campaign, which included hacking Democratic emails and spreading disinformation. Trump dismisses the intelligence, calling it a 'political witch hunt.'

Michael Flynn resigns as National Security Advisor after it is revealed he lied to Vice President Pence about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the transition. Flynn urged Kislyak not to escalate US sanctions imposed by the Obama administration for election interference. Flynn later pleads guilty to lying to the FBI. His resignation marks the first major casualty …

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recuses himself from any investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election after revelations that he met twice with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the campaign and failed to disclose it in his Senate confirmation hearing. The recusal enrages Trump, who never forgives Sessions. The recusal paves the way for Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein to appoint a …

Trump fires FBI Director James Comey, who was leading the Russia investigation. Trump later told NBC's Lester Holt he was thinking of 'this Russia thing' when he fired Comey. Tweet text: "FBI Director Comey was terminated by President Trump today. It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital …

Trump threatens Comey about 'tapes', which turned out to be a bluff. This threat backfired when Comey leaked his own memos, leading to the appointment of a Special Counsel. Tweet text: "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential coordination with the Trump campaign. Trump immediately calls it 'the single greatest witch hunt in American history.' Mueller's investigation ultimately produces 199 criminal charges, 37 indictments, 7 guilty pleas, and 2 convictions at …

At a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Trump publicly sides with Russia over his own intelligence agencies, saying there is 'no reason' to believe Russia interfered in the 2016 election. He calls the US investigation a 'disaster for our country.' The performance is universally condemned by both Republican and Democratic leaders. Trump later claims he 'misspoke' and …

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is convicted on 8 counts of tax and bank fraud in the first trial stemming from Mueller's investigation. The same day, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen pleads guilty to 8 counts including campaign finance violations, stating he made hush money payments 'in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office.' Trump …

Trump announces the US will withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, citing alleged Russian violations. The move is praised by hawks but criticized by arms control advocates who say it starts a new arms race. Trump simultaneously pursues a policy of detente with Putin on other fronts, creating a contradictory Russia policy throughout his term.

The redacted Mueller Report is publicly released. Volume I details extensive Russian interference and numerous contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives but concludes there was insufficient evidence to charge a criminal conspiracy. Volume II outlines 10 episodes of potential obstruction of justice by Trump but declines to prosecute, citing DOJ policy against indicting a sitting president. Attorney General …

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees about his 22-month investigation into Russian election interference. Mueller confirms that his report did NOT exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice, states that Trump could be charged after leaving office, and contradicts Attorney General Barr's characterization of his findings. The testimony is Mueller's only public statement about …

The Senate Intelligence Committee releases its final report on Russian election interference, confirming with bipartisan agreement that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump and that the Trump campaign 'welcomed' the help. The report contradicts Trump's repeated claims that the investigation was a 'hoax.' The committee recommends comprehensive election security reforms, most of which are never implemented.