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Was Flynn Unaware His Phone Call was Tapped?

February 14, 2017 at 7:31 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “After the sanctions were rolled out, the Obama administration braced itself for the Russian retaliation. To the surprise of many U.S. officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Dec. 30 that there would be no response. Trump praised the decision on Twitter. Intelligence analysts began to search for clues that could help explain Putin’s move. The search turned up [Russian Ambassador Sergey] Kislyak’s communications, which the FBI routinely monitors, and the phone call in question with Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general with years of intelligence experience.”

Playbook: “Isn’t it shocking that Flynn didn’t suspect the Russian ambassador’s phone calls were being listened in on?”

Why Trump Let Flynn Go

February 14, 2017 at 7:24 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Trump’s decision on what to do with Flynn was not easy, according to several people who spoke with him about it. The president values loyalty perhaps more than anything, and Flynn had been one of his most staunch surrogates on the campaign trail. The president saw Flynn as a fellow outsider who had a good sense of the national security challenges.”

“But Trump became increasingly convinced that the question of Flynn’s contact with Russia wasn’t going away. His top aides and advisers distrusted Flynn, according to senior White House officials and others who spoke with Trump, and Trump was concerned that the intelligence and national security community would always oppose Flynn, sources said.”

“Pence was unhappy with Flynn for not telling him the truth and told the president about his displeasure, a White House official said, but said he would accept whatever decision the president made.”

Mike Allen: Flynn’s 97 hours of hell

Republicans Should Fear Health Care Protests

February 14, 2017 at 7:05 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jim VandeHei and David Nather: “Republicans aren’t panicked about the protests over their Obamacare repeal plans. They should be.”

“Democrats in Congress are under direct orders from party leaders to crank up their own protests, to build on the loud and angry demonstrations at Republican town halls. And there is every reason to believe they will be highly effective.”

“How do we know? Because Republicans exploited the same fears, energy and trends to do unto Democrats as Democrats are about to do unto them.”

New York Times: Angry town hall meetings and few answers

Harward Seen As Frontrunner to Replace Flynn

February 14, 2017 at 7:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “Administration officials said it was unlikely that Mr. Kellogg would be asked to stay on as Mr. Flynn’s permanent replacement. Mr. Flynn brought Mr. Kellogg into the Trump campaign, according to a former campaign adviser, and the two have remained close. K. T. McFarland, the deputy national security adviser who also was brought on by Mr. Flynn, is expected to leave that role, a senior official said.”

“One person close to the administration, who was not authorized to discuss the personnel moves and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that retired Vice Admiral Robert S. Harward is the leading candidate to replace Mr. Flynn, although Mr. Kellogg and David H. Petraeus are being discussed. It was not clear whether Mr. Petraeus is still expected to appear at the White House this week, as initially discussed by advisers to the president.”

Russian Lawmakers Defend Flynn

February 14, 2017 at 6:57 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Leading Russian lawmakers rushed to defend President Trump’s former national security adviser on Tuesday after he resigned for misleading senior White House officials, including Vice President Pence, about his contacts with Russia,” the Washington Post reports.

“The heads of the foreign affairs committees in both Russia’s upper and lower houses of parliament chalked up Michael Flynn’s resignation to a dark campaign of Russophobia in Washington, and said it would undermine relations between the White House and the Kremlin.”

Flynn Resigns as National Security Adviser

February 13, 2017 at 11:08 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Embattled White House national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned Monday night, two sources tell CNN.

“The move comes less than a month into the job, making him one of the shortest-serving senior presidential advisers in modern history.”

“The sudden exit marks the most public display yet of disarray at the highest levels of the new administration, which has faced repeated questions over a slew of controversies and reports of infighting among senior aides during its first three weeks.”

Omarosa Claimed Officials Have ‘Dossier’ on Reporters

February 13, 2017 at 10:55 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Omarosa Manigault, who is now a communications official in the Trump administration, “got into a heated argument with a White House reporter just steps from the Oval Office last week, according to witnesses. The reporter, April Ryan, said Manigault ‘physically intimidated’ her in a manner that could have warranted intervention by the Secret Service,” the Washington Post reports.

“Ryan also said Manigault made verbal threats, including the assertion that Ryan was among several journalists on whom Trump officials had collected ‘dossiers’ of negative information.”

White House Searching for Replacements for Flynn

February 13, 2017 at 10:13 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jared Kushner “is involved in a search for candidates to replace Michael Flynn,” Politico reports.

“The list of possible replacements includes retired Gen. David Petraeus, who’s scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House this week… Other possibilities: Stephen Hadley, who served as national security adviser under President George W. Bush; Tom Bossert, who also served as a national security aide under Bush and now oversees cybersecurity under Trump; Adm. James Stavridis, dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts; and Department of Homeland Security head John Kelly.”

Mnuchin Is Confirmed as Treasury Secretary

February 13, 2017 at 10:11 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Senate confirmed financier Steven Mnuchin as the next Treasury secretary in a 53-47 vote Monday evening, placing him in a leading position to advance President Donald Trump’s plans to revamp financial regulation and the U.S. tax code,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

White House Told Flynn Was Vulnerable to Blackmail

February 13, 2017 at 10:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michael Flynn, the embattled national security adviser, faced an uncertain future on Monday as White House officials delivered conflicting messages about whether he still enjoys the confidence of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence,” the New York Times reports.

“The Justice Department had warned the White House that Mr. Flynn had misled senior Trump administration officials about whether he had discussed American sanctions against Vladimir Putin’s regime during a phone call with Russia’s ambassador to the United States weeks before the inauguration, and that he could be open to blackmail by Russia.”

“At the same time, Mr. Pence has told administration officials that he believes Mr. Flynn lied to him by saying he had not discussed the topic of sanctions on a call with the ambassador in late December.”

The Washington Post reports the Justice Department warned that Flynn was potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail.

Puzder’s Nomination In Jeopardy

February 13, 2017 at 5:57 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Four Republican senators have told their leadership they are withholding support for Andrew Puzder, President Trump’s choice for labor secretary, “setting off an intense effort by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and business groups to bring at least two back into the fold so that the nomination does not fail,” CNN reports.

The four, sources say, are Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

Key Republican Won’t Seek Trump’s Tax Returns

February 13, 2017 at 5:55 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, won’t use the power he has to request President Trump’s tax returns, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Brady “brushed aside Democrats’ calls for a committee inquiry into Mr. Trump’s taxes and conflicts of interest, saying it would set a precedent for intrusive looks by Congress into individual taxpayers.”

“As chairman of the tax-writing panel, Mr. Brady has the power to get Mr. Trump’s returns from the Internal Revenue Service and review them in closed session with other committee members. The committee can also make the returns – or portions of them – public by submitting a report to the full House.”

White House Still Not Coming to Flynn’s Defense

February 13, 2017 at 5:04 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Michael Flynn’s position as President Trump’s national security adviser appeared to be in peril on Monday as Democrats stepped up their attacks and the White House remained stonily silent,” The Hill reports.

“Sensing blood on the water, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) called the revelations that Flynn spoke about sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office — and then allegedly misled Vice President Mike Pence about it — ‘proof he should not be entrusted with our national security.’ Meanwhile, reports of turmoil at the National Security Council gave further ammunition to longtime critics of Flynn who believe him to be a loose cannon.”

USA Today: “Trump himself, caught in the hallway by reporters, declined to answer questions about whether he still has confidence in Flynn.”

Miller Got His Start Pestering Hispanic Students

February 13, 2017 at 1:17 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Univision spoke to high school classmates of Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller and found he “had few friends, none of them non-white. They said he used to make fun of the children of Latino and Asian immigrants who did not speak English well.”

“Early on, Miller began to write opinion columns in conservative blogs, the local press and the high school’s own newspaper, The Samohi. He also contributed at times to the national radio show of Larry Elder, a conservative African American, and once invited him to speak at the school. Displaying his hostility toward minorities, Miller complained to school administrators about announcements in Spanish and festivals that celebrated diversity.”

Mar-a-Lago Guest Takes Picture with Nuclear ‘Football’

February 13, 2017 at 12:25 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A visitor to President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida posted a photo with a person he says is responsible for carrying the black bag that contains the nuclear launch codes for the president of the United States,” The Hill reports.

“The existence of the nuclear football isn’t classified. Still, the pictures raise questions about the access enjoyed by Mar-a-Lago members, who have seen their annual membership fee double to $200,000 since Trump won the presidency.”

Christie Summoned to White House

February 13, 2017 at 10:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is scheduled to have a lunch meeting with President Trump in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, the Newark Star Ledger reports.

“The meeting comes as speculation intensifies that President Trump has grown unhappy with several members of his inner circle and their performance in the first month of the administration…. Christie, a fellow Republican who has been a longtime friend and confidant to Trump, is expected to discuss a broad range of topics with the president.”

Who Benefits from a White House Shake Up?

February 13, 2017 at 10:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

Nearly every major newspaper has speculation this morning that a big White House shake up is coming. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Press Secretary Sean Spicer — or some combination — are all potentially on the chopping block.

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Ross Plans to Keep Stakes In 11 Companies

February 13, 2017 at 9:59 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Wilbur Ross Jr. plans to keep millions of dollars invested in offshore entities whose values could be affected by policies that he implements as commerce secretary,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Mr. Ross, the 79-year-old private-equity billionaire whom President Donald Trump has nominated to run the Commerce Department, has said that if he is confirmed, he will sell at least 80 business assets and investment funds over the next several months. But he plans to hold on to investments in an oil-tanker company and 10 other entities that invest in shipping and real-estate financing… It isn’t clear why Mr. Ross is retaining these 11 assets.”