Among those trying to look the other way at this awkward moment was Vice President Pence. Marc Lotter, the vice president’s press secretary, said in a statement that Pence remains focused on the president’s agenda, adding, “He is not focused on stories about the campaign, particularly stories about the time before he joined the ticket.” Pence was not brought on as Trump’s running mate until a month after the meeting in question.It is by now a cliche to note that the Russia investigation not only hangs over the Trump presidency and his White House but that it also runs smack against efforts by Republicans to move ahead on their and the president’s agenda. For Republicans, it is the most troubling of revelations at the worst of moments, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) attempts to pass a health-care bill and as other legislation remains clogged in the pipeline.Republicans can only wait as they watch the Russian front with trepidation. They hope that the eventual conclusion of the investigations will be exculpatory at best and murky at worst: a finding of clear Russian interference with motivation to help the president, but no definite connections among the various dots that hint at — but have not yet proved — collusion.

After what landed with such force Tuesday, however, they know there could be more damaging revelations to come. They are caught in a limbo. Whatever private fears they have, they are still attempting to remain publicly loyal to a president whose loyalty in return can never be taken for granted. Yet they know that their own political futures could hinge on what happens in the Russia investigation in the coming months.

Mueller’s investigation appears to be wide-ranging, from possible abuse of power by the president in his attempts to limit the probe, to questions about cooperation or collusion between Trump associates and the Russians, to financial dealings by officials that have raised questions in the past. No one knows what else, if anything, he and his team are digging into. But the emails that were released Tuesday make for a provocative addition to that already heavy load, one that will keep the White House and its allies on edge for some time to come.

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