US President Donald Trump defended his son Donald Trump Jr. as a "high-quality person" in the wake of revelations that Trump Jr. agreed to a campaign meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who claimed to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton last year.

On Tuesday (11 July), Trump Jr. posted his "explosive" emails with British-born music publicist Rob Goldstone via Twitter that revealed he was offered information that could "incriminate" Clinton and her dealings with Russia. In an email, Goldstone said "the crown prosecutor of Russia" had offered to provide Trump's campaign with some official documents and information that "would be very useful to your father."

"This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr Trump", Goldstone wrote in one email.

"If it's what you say I love it", Trump Jr. said in a reply.

The emails come amid mounting pressure on the White House over the wide-ranging investigation by the FBI and congressional committees into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential ties between Trump's team and Moscow.

Trump Jr. has denied any wrongdoing and said he would be willing to testify under oath regarding the meeting.

In a brief statement read out by White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, President Trump said: "My son is a high quality person and I applaud his transparency."

Twitter immediately pounced on the opportunity to mock the president's defence of his embattled eldest son and his characterization of him as a "high-quality person."

"My son is a high-quality person, made from a state-of-the-art blend of synthetic fibers and hair cream", one person tweeted. Another wrote: "If your dad ever refers to you as a "high-quality person," just know you are NOT getting the house in the will."

While many poked fun the president's odd choice of words to describe his son with a slew of memes and jokes, other tore into his praise of Donald Trump Jr.'s transparency. SiriusXM radio host John Fugelsang tweeted: "Guys I just want to applaud my high-quality son's transparency after he's been caught lying, badly, publicly, multiple times."

"Trump says he applauds his son's transparency. Donald, the only thing transparent about Jr. are his lies. Indeed, we see right through them", Star Trek actor George Takei tweeted.

One Twitter user wrote: "A liar who obstructs and withholds his taxes has zero room using the word "transparency."

"You can almost smell the cat in the cradle", one person tweeted.

donald trump
President Trump defended his eldest son as a "high-quality person" and Twitter fiercely mocked him for it. Ethan Miller/Getty Images