Jonathan Swan: “The reason John Kelly and White House communications officials insisted late last week that McMaster wasn’t going anywhere for now — despite a Washington Post story saying he was done — was because the president told them to say that. And they genuinely thought he’d take some time to ease McMaster out.”

“An administration source told me that the aides thought Trump probably believed that in the moment.”

Said the source: “He’s impulsive. He makes snap decisions but they’re weird snap decisions … He publicly ruminates for six months and then says: ‘I have to do this right now.'”

“A lawsuit filed by D.C. and Maryland against President Trump over his alleged business conflicts has been expanded to include Trump in his personal capacity as a businessman, which means that a summons has been sent to perhaps the most famous address in Washington: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” WAMU reports.

“The attorneys general for both states argue in a lawsuit that Trump is violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which in part bans public officials from receiving gifts and payments from foreign governments without approval from Congress.”

Former Playboy model Karen McDougal confirmed to CNN in an interview that she had a 10-month sexual relationship with Donald Trump before he was President, saying they were together “many dozens of times.”

Said McDougal: “I can tell you we saw each other a minimum five times a month, up to bigger numbers per month.”

“McDougal described the alleged affair from 2006 to 2007 as a consensual, loving relationship, and said she did not know Trump might have seen other women at the time besides his wife — and that throughout their relationship, he did not use protection.”

“President Trump’s decision to abruptly fire national security adviser H.R. McMaster surprised senior White House aides who had been preparing a single statement announcing the departure of multiple top Trump officials,” Politico reports.

“White House chief of staff John Kelly and other top aides were waiting for inspector general reports that they believed would deliver devastating verdicts on Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who have both been accused of racking up extravagant expenses. They were also debating whether several senior White House aides, including McMaster, should go with them.”

“In the midst of a Cabinet shake-up and a possible staff upheaval, President Trump considered firing his chief of staff earlier this month and not naming a successor,” NBC News reports.

“Trump has mused to close associates about running the West Wing as he did his business empire, essentially serving as his own chief of staff… In conversations with allies outside the White House, the president envisioned a scenario in which a handful of top aides would report directly to him — bypassing the traditional gatekeeper position.”

“The shake-up in President Trump’s legal team is part of preparations for a potential presidential interview with special counsel Robert Mueller,” NBC News reports.

“John Dowd, the member of Trump’s legal team who most strongly opposed an interview and was leading the discussions with Mueller about one, resigned on Thursday. The move clears the path to begin preparations should an interview occur.”

Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon said he believes if chief of staff John Kelly leaves the White House, President Trump will not replace him, The Hill reports.

“Bannon said that rather than hiring a new chief of staff should Kelly leave, Trump would likely opt for a more hands-on approach that would involve directly receiving reports from multiple individuals each day.”