President Donald Trump's Loyalty Uncertain Among Some National Security ...

When Republicans heard Trump remark "Russia if you're listening..." those with the knowledge of the law would have rushed, en mass, to flood the channel with advice about the law.  Because a Trump win was in the interest of the entire Republican party, all of it's energies and knowledge would have  been focused on keeping his campaign on track.  That's the way campaigns work, anyone who has ever worked on a campaign knows that there are more people interested and invested in the win, such that advice against any pitfall will come in a flood from all sides and levels.  There is no way Trump and the campaign could not have known that what they were doing with the Russians was illegal,  which is why they all lied about it.  They felt certain that someone would have discovered the advice they had been receiving.