JARED SPEAKS – AT 10:08 A.M. ET:  Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, will testify before Congress today on his contacts with Russia.  I doubt if most Americans care at this point, as months of "reporting" have discovered nothing particularly unusual about those contacts.  But the Democrats care passionately, as conspiracy theories have replaced policy in their ranks.  From NBC News:

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on Monday released a statement detailing four contacts with Russians during the election and transition, hours before he was due to be interviewed by staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government,” he said in the statement. “I had no improper contacts.”

The Intelligence Committee is investigating Russia's alleged attempted interference in the 2016 presidential election. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the covert operation was intended to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign and evolved into an attempt to help Trump win.

If that was their intent, they didn't get much for the effort.  Trump is tougher on the Russians than Obama ever was.

Kushner arrived at Capitol Hill for his interviews around 9:40 a.m., and did not respond to questions being shouted by reporters.

He is expected to be questioned about his relationships with Russian officials, including his participation in a meeting last year with a Kremlin-linked lawyer.

“I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector,” he said in Monday’s statement. “I have tried to be fully transparent with regard to the filing of my SF-86 form [for White House security clearance] above and beyond what is required. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest.”

He also said that a June 2016 meeting that included Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was such a “waste of time” that he asked his assistant to call him out of the gathering.

COMMENT:  The White House has begun actively to fight back against the rumors and accusations.  The president can expect no help from the press or even his own wayward party.  But don't underestimate the resilience of the family.

July 24, 2017