Even viewed from the humble prairies of central Minnesota, the release of Donald Trump Jr.’s emails last week provides a stunning, unfathomable truth:

Three key leaders of a major presidential campaign colluded with Russia to help them win the highest office in the land.

That a representative of Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr., made false promises to get the meeting does not matter.

What matters is Trump Jr., campaign manager Paul Manafort and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner all were willing to meet with her because she promised details about Hillary Clinton to help Donald Trump’s campaign.

As Trump Jr.’s own email about the possible information stated, he would “love it …”

His words and the trio’s actions undeniably show the Trump campaign was willing to work with another country to win the presidency.

That’s collusion.

Keep investigating

Whether that violates any laws — and if there was any deeper conspiracy — certainly need to be determined through continued investigations.

Already, though, it’s fair to say these revelations should shatter any public belief in the endless denials from the president and his team about campaign connections to Russia.

His son just showed the world there was.

And remember, intelligence reports have made it clear Russia was interfering on Trump’s behalf in the election. To what extent and whether Trump’s team was supportive is still unknown.

That’s why these newly unveiled connections must be detailed and then examined in the context of a Constitution drafted by founders who saw impeachment as the penalty for elected officials willing to work with foreign powers at the cost of American interests.

Going forward

While the ever-bellicose President Trump won’t do so, he should stop tweeting excuses, denials and insults and instead fully cooperate with investigators immediately.

His contention Thursday that his son was doing standard “opposition research” is egregious.

Sure, such research is common practice on the domestic front, where there are public records and other credible ways to verify potential sources. Plus, all the players ultimately wear a USA jersey.

Turning to a foreign power — especially one championing polar-opposite values — is abhorrent, perhaps even unprecedented.

Indeed, as The New York Times reported Wednesday, the only similar documented case involving a presidential race came in 1968 when Richard Nixon told H.R. Haldeman (then his top campaign strategist) to interfere in Vietnam peace talks.

To be clear, that comparison for now is only about Trump Jr.’s acknowledgment there was collusion.

For now.

— St. Cloud Times, July 15