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DONALD TRUMP, JR. DEFENDS PAUL MANAFORT IN WAKE OF MELANIA TRUMP’S SPEECH AND THE ACCUSATIONS OF PLAGIARISM SURROUNDING IT – IN AN INTERVIEW WITH “CBS THIS MORNING” CO-HOST NORAH O’DONNELL

HAVING NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH SPEECHWRITERS. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT DID THIS, NOT PAUL,” HE TELLS O’DONNELL


TRUMP JR. ALSO SAYS THAT “THERE’S A REASON THAT PAUL IS IN THE POSITION THAT HE IS TODAY AND COREY’S NOT”


A PORTION OF THE INTERVIEW AIRS TONIGHT ONTHE “CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY” (6:30-7:00 PM, ET), ON CBS NEWS’ PRIMETIME COVERAGE (10:00-11:00 PM, ET) AND TOMORROW ON “CBS THIS MORNING” (7:00-9:00 AM, ET)

Donald Trump, Jr., in his first remarks since the matter, said speechwriters, not Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, are to blame for Melania Trump’s speech last night and the accusations of plagiarism surrounding it, in an interview with CBS THIS MORNING Co-Host Norah O’Donnell. She spoke with Trump today on the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena, the site of this week’s Republican National Convention, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Trump Jr. went on to disavow the notion that what happened with Melania’s speech had anything to do with new campaign manager, Paul Manafort, as some have speculated. Trump Jr. said, “There’s a reason that Paul is in the position that he is today and Corey’s not.”

Trump Jr. also discussed the Trump family’s role in helping to choose Gov. Mike Pence (R-Indiana) as his father’s running mate.

A portion of the interview airs tonight on the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY (6:30-7:00 PM, ET) and on CBS News’ primetime coverage of the Republican National Convention (10:00-11:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network. It will also be featured tomorrow, Wednesday, July 20, on CBS THIS MORNING (7:00-9:00 AM, ET).

Click here to watch an excerpt of the interview that aired on CBSN, CBS News’ 24/7 streaming news service: http://cbsn.ws/2a9UdUh

CBS News’ coverage plans for both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions are available at:http://bit.ly/29ZHx1Q

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