No doubt Trump team colluded with Russia, says Pelosi as Congress lines up to condemn new email release

The release of emails between Donald Trump's son and a Russian intermediary prove his campaign colluded with the Kremlin to influence the US election, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said.

“There’s no escaping it: the Trump Campaign’s inner circle met with an agent of a hostile foreign power to influence the outcome of an American election,” the Senator said in a statement.

The comments came shortly after Donald Trump Jr published a stunning string of emails revealing that he had agreed to a meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer during his father's campaign.

The meeting was organised by Rob Goldstone, a friend of the Trump family, who promised "official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia". The information was "part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr Trump," the intermediary added.

"I love it," Mr Trump Jr responded.

Mr Trump Jr posted the emails to his Twitter account shortly before The New York Times – who first reported on the meeting's existence – published excerpts in an article.

In a statement accompanying the post, Mr Trump Jr said the Kremlin-connected lawyer was not a government official, and that she did not provide any information regarding Ms Clinton.

The mild defence did not save him from condemnation on both the left and right.

"Any time you're in a campaign and you get an offer from a foreign government to help your campaign, the answer is 'no'," Senator Lindsey Graham, a frequent Trump critic, said.

Ms Clinton's former running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, said the emails contained "wheelbarrows full of new evidence for the special prosecutor”.

The Justice Department has appointed a special prosecutor to lead its investigation into Russian meddling in the US election. That investigation is expected to include allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

The Senate and House Intelligence Committees have also launched probes into Russia's influence.

Senator Mark Warner, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said his committee "absolutely" hopes to speak to Mr Trump Jr – along with White House adviser Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who were also present at the meeting.

"The public has seen clear evidence of at least an attempt by the Trump campaign to obtain information, and again, in this case, from a possible foreign agent that would interfere with the Hillary Clinton campaign efforts," Mr Warner said.