I don’t believe you’re dishonest — you’re not pretending the language in the emails doesn’t exist — but I do disagree with your interpretation.

For one, you’re leaving out the key word in the part of my article you quoted: “trying.” Additionally, “collusion” isn’t a formal legal term. It just means working together (albeit with some negative connotation). Alternative words, such as “treason,” have large implications and formal legal definitions, and I deliberately avoided using them because I don’t think this rises to that standard.

Along those lines, there’s no doubt the emails show Don Jr. trying to work with the Russian government (with some negative connotation because it potentially involved illegal activity). That’s a significant change from the repeated insistence that no one from the Trump campaign ever tried to work with Russia at all.

You’re right that he could have chosen otherwise. But he didn’t.