Don Trump Jr 'approved plans for his father to set up a RUSSIAN social media profile' before he was president - after being urged by a campaign official

• e-mail

The British music publicist who organized a meeting between Donald Trump Jr and Russians reportedly urged a top Trump aide to get the then-presidential candidate to set up a Russian social media profile in 2016, emails have revealed.

Rob Goldstone emailed then-senior Trump aide Dan Scavino, now the White House director of social media, saying the presidential candidate should set up a page on the Russian social networking site VK. 

He told Scavino that Donald Trump Jr and then-campaign manager Paul Manafort were on board with the plan. 

The email came after Goldstone organized a meeting between Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskay and Trump Jr, Manafort and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. 

Recently unearthed emails, found by congressional investigators, are the first indication that there was any follow up after Trump Jr and others from Trump's inner circle met with the Russians. 

Rob Goldstone (left) emailed then-senior Trump aide Dan Scavino, now the White House director of social media, saying the presidential candidate should set up a page on the Russian social networking site VK. He told Scavino that Donald Trump Jr (right) and then-campaign manager Paul Manafort were on board with the plan

They cast doubt on Trump Jr's claim that he had no further contact with the Russians after the June 2016 meeting.

Trump Jr first called it a 'short introductory meeting' focused on a Russian adoption program. He later admitted he hoped to learn dirt on Trump rival Hillary Clinton.

Goldstone's emails were raised at Wednesday's classified congressional hearing with Trump Jr, who said he couldn't recall the interactions, insiders told CNN.

The publicist is scheduled to speak with the House Intelligence Committee next week.

None of the emails were sent directly to Donald Trump Jr, but instead to Russians and Trump advisers.

In one, Goldstone reportedly forwarded a CNN story about Russia hacking the Democratic National Committee emails to Russian pop star Emin Agalarov and Ike Kaveladze, a Georgian-American business executive.

Goldstone described the article as 'eerily weird', as it was published just five days after the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower.

The email came after Goldstone organized a meeting between Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskay and Trump Jr, Manafort and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (right, with President Donald Trump

Manafort (pictured) was also reportedly on board with Trump creating a Russian social media profile

Agalarov reportedly helped Goldstone organize the June 2016 meeting between Trump Jr and Veselnitskaya.

Kaveladze was reportedly at the meeting representing Agalarov and his father.

Veselnitskaya said in written responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee that at the meeting Trump Jr. asked her for information on any illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation at the meeting, NBC News reported.

When Trump Jr was asked about GoldStone's emails by the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, he said he was not aware of them or couldn't recall the contents.

In a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, Trump Jr said the meeting was less than half and hour long.

He said: 'Rob, Emin and I never discussed the meeting again. I do not recall ever discussing it with Jared, Paul or anyone else. In short, I gave it no further thought.'

When speaking with Fox News Host Sean Hannity over the summer, he said there 'wasn't really a follow-up because there was nothing to follow up'.

When Trump Jr was asked about GoldStone's emails by the House Intelligence Committee (members Rep Mike Conaway,center, Rep Tom Rooney, right, and Rep Trey Gowdy, left) on Wednesday, he said he was not aware of them or couldn't recall the contents

He said: 'You know, as we were walking out, [Goldstone] said 'Listen, I'm sorry for that. ... There was some puffery to the email, perhaps to get the meeting, to make it happen, and you know, in the end, there was probably some bait and switch about what it was really supposed to be about. And so, you know, there is nothing there.'

Trump Jr, like his father, denies collusion with Russia. 

US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 campaign to boost Trump's chances of defeating Clinton. Moscow denies any such effort.

The president's son cited attorney-client privileges after emails detailing the meeting had become public, according to the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee.

Speaking to the committee behind closed doors on Wednesday as part of an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Trump Jr also said he didn't tell the President about the meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians when it happened.

The Trump tycoon heir declined to elaborate on what he ultimately told him after the meeting became public.