Trump calls Grassley about ethanol ahead of son’s meeting with Judiciary Committee

President Trump called Senate Judiciary Committee Charles E. Grassley of Iowa Wednesday, a day after the president’s son Donald Jr. agreed to an interview with committee investigators about a meeting in 2016 where he was promised dirt from Russians on Hillary Clinton.

Mr. Grassley said the president discussed his support for ethanol, a big issue in Mr. Grassley’s home state.

“Just had ph call from Pres Trump + he assured me he’s pro ethanol +I’m free 2 the ppl of Iowa he’s standing by his campaign PROMISE,” Mr. Grassley tweeted. “He knows that ethanol is good good good.”

The lawmaker also said that he thanked the president for “his continued attention + response to hurricane Harvey.”

A spokesman for the Judiciary Committee said Tuesday that Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to sit privately for a transcribed interview with the committee about his meeting with a Russian lawyer and others who offered him damaging information about Mrs. Clinton during the campaign. The meeting at Trump Tower has become an area of inquiry in the Russia investigations; the president’s son has said the meeting turned out to be a fruitless discussion of Russian adoption policy.

Lawyers for the president’s elder son have been in discussions with the committee and turned over documents. Mr. Trump Jr. will be interviewed by senior committee staff, and senators could also attend; the committee originally had invited the president’s son to testify at a public hearing last month.

A spokesman for Mr. Grassley said the senator’s conversation with the president Wednesday lasted about two minutes.

“Senator Grassley told the president he was glad to hear him voice his support for ethanol and that he would tweet about it to the people of Iowa,” the statement said. “Nothing more specific about ethanol policies came up. The other topics that came up were Hurricane Harvey and Ambassador [Terry] Branstad in China.”

Mr. Branstad is a former governor of Iowa.