Sean Spicer contradicts Trump Jr on 'Russian' meeting

White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday contradicted President Donald Trump after insisting that a meeting Trump Jr. had with a Russian lawyer in the lead up to the presidential election, was about adoption policy.

"The President has made it clear through this tweet. And there was nothing, as far as we know, that would lead anyone to believe that there was anything except for a discussion about adoption and the Magnitsky Act. But I would refer you back to counsel on that one," Spicer said at an off-camera briefing with reporters, reports CNN.

Some have suggested that the accounts of Trump Jr's meeting are the first public indication that some in the campaign were ready to accept Russian help in order to win.

Spicer reiterated his July 8th stance that it was a nothing but a "short introductory meeting ... about the adoption of Russian children that was active and popular with American families years ago."

However, Trump Jr. had admitted that he attended the meeting because he was promised compromising information about Hillary Clinton when he publicly released his email exchange with Rob Goldstone, a publicist who helped set up the meeting.

According to the emails released by the US President's eldest son last week, Trump Jr's response to being offered compromising information about Hillary Clinton ahead of the November election was to write "if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer".

Spicer's statement also contradicts the President, who acknowledged his son took the meeting in order to get damaging information on his opponent saying "that's politics."

"Most politicians would have gone to a meeting like the one Don jr attended in order to get info on an opponent. That's politics!" Trump has said in a tweet.