The information that President Trump has deliberately sought to conceal information on his conversations with Vladimir Putin is a major departure from previous practices. We already knew that President Trump met one-one one with Putin in Helsinki in July, without aides or note-takers present and accompanied only by his interpreter. We also knew that Trump had an earlier, initially undisclosed hour-long conversation with Putin at the 2017 Group of 20 meetings in Hamburg, with only the Russian translator present.
Trump’s Russia ties
Washington Post: It’s a big deal that Trump didn’t allow notes on his meetings with Putin
US President Donald Trump (R) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017.
