For the first time since the 2016 presidential campaign, America got a glimpse at what appeared to be real collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia on Tuesday. Emails between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian intermediary showed that the campaign for the eventual Republican nomination was receptive to damaging information on Hillary Clinton obtained by a foreign power. Such damning allegations that even Fox News could not downplay the serious revelation.

The main headline on FoxNews.com on Tuesday read: “Emails show Trump Jr. thrilled to get campaign dirt, Russian help.”

On the Fox News Channel, former CIA covert operations officer Mike Baker explained to right-wing viewers that Trump Jr.’s email communications was a serious matter. “The problem is that anytime you are contacted by somebody from outside your borders — Russian, Chinese, anyone — you got a responsibility to vet those individuals,” Baker said. “So part of this is the lack of organization, the discipline within the Trump organization. But part of this also, could this be connected to somehow the Kremlin? Of course it could be. The Russians are very active.”

Fox News political analyst Chris Stirewalt’s assessment of the damage was blunt: “Trump Jr. burns GOP defenders.”