The Trump administration is working on a new set of directives on the use of school bathrooms by transgender students, the White House said Tuesday.

The announcement alarmed LGBT groups across the country that have urged President Donald Trump to safeguard Obama-era guidelines allowing students to use school restrooms that match their gender identity, not their assigned gender at birth.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not provide any details on the new guidelines that are being prepared by the Justice Department, but said Trump has long held that such matters should be left to the states, not the federal government, to decide.

The Obama administration's guidance, issued last May, held that transgender students can access restrooms and participate in school athletics according with the gender they identify with.

Schools were also instructed to treat students in line with their expressed gender identity without requiring any medical proof.

While the move was hailed by rights organizations, it was attacked by conservative groups, which called it federal overreach and an infringement on the personal space and safety of all other students.

A patchwork of state laws and policies on the issue is emerging.

Fifteen states have explicit protections for transgender students, and many individual school districts in other states have adopted policies that recognize students on the basis of their gender identity, said Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign. Just one state, North Carolina, has enacted a law restricting students' bathroom access to their sex at birth.

But so far this year, lawmakers in more than 10 states are considering similar legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

Raleigh, North Carolina – 22 February 2017

1. Wide shot of North Carolina legislative building

2. Tight of legislative building sign

3. Wide of transgender man talking on phone

4. Tight of name tag

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Ames Simmons, Equality NC

"Just, my stomach feels cold with worry. Even walking out, I saw a large group of school kids leaving the North Carolina General Assembly and wondered, How many students who are trans or gender non-conforming in that class might be hearing that same message today, and feeling like it's less for them in school. And that makes me, that makes me feel really sad as a trans person. To think about a young person feeling a lack of hope because of what the folks in this building and in Washington, DC are doing."

6. Wide of school kids leaving legislature

7. Tight of foot walking past state seal with word "CONSTITUTION"

8. Wide of Tami Fitzgerald of NC Values Coalition walking out of legislature

9. SOUNDBITE (English): Tami Fitzgerald, NC Values Coalition

"When Congress passed the Civil Rights Act and Title IX, they never contemplated that sex would mean gender identity. It's not in the bill. It's not what the bill says. It's not what the law says. And so we think that the directive that the Obama administration issued about interpreting sex as meaning gender identity is wrong, and it should be repealed."

10. Tight of Fitzgerald's name tag

11. SOUNDBITE (English): Tami Fitzgerald, NC Values Coalition

"I agree with President Trump. This IS a state issue. And the federal government was engaged in gross overreach when it issued this directive that impacted every public school in the country."

12. Mid of sign for school groups touring legislature

13. SOUNDBITE (English): Ames Simmons, Equality NC

"We believe that this is a terrible message that the Trump administration is sending to some of the most vulnerable young people in our country today. That the president and the administration are not going to protect them from discrimination, no matter what Title IX says."

14. Tight of sign for school groups

15. Wide of woman and son outside legislature

16. SOUNDBITE (English): Tina Matthews, Visiting Capital with Son

"I think that everybody deserves an equal shot at being who they are, love who they want to love and be able to go into a bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity."

17. Wide of legislative building

18. Mid of fluttering American flag

19. Mid of North Carolina flag

The Trump administration is working on a new set of directives on the use of school bathrooms by transgender students, the White House said Tuesday.

The announcement alarmed LGBT groups across the country that have urged President Donald Trump to safeguard Obama-era guidelines allowing students to use school restrooms that match their gender identity, not their assigned gender at birth.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not provide any details on the new guidelines that are being prepared by the Justice Department, but said Trump has long held that such matters should be left to the states, not the federal government, to decide.

The Obama administration's guidance, issued last May, held that transgender students can access restrooms and participate in school athletics according with the gender they identify with.

Schools were also instructed to treat students in line with their expressed gender identity without requiring any medical proof.

While the move was hailed by rights organizations, it was attacked by conservative groups, which called it federal overreach and an infringement on the personal space and safety of all other students.

A patchwork of state laws and policies on the issue is emerging.

Fifteen states have explicit protections for transgender students, and many individual school districts in other states have adopted policies that recognize students on the basis of their gender identity, said Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign. Just one state, North Carolina, has enacted a law restricting students' bathroom access to their sex at birth.

But so far this year, lawmakers in more than 10 states are considering similar legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

Raleigh, North Carolina – 22 February 2017

1. Wide shot of North Carolina legislative building

2. Tight of legislative building sign

3. Wide of transgender man talking on phone

4. Tight of name tag

5. SOUNDBITE (English): Ames Simmons, Equality NC

"Just, my stomach feels cold with worry. Even walking out, I saw a large group of school kids leaving the North Carolina General Assembly and wondered, How many students who are trans or gender non-conforming in that class might be hearing that same message today, and feeling like it's less for them in school. And that makes me, that makes me feel really sad as a trans person. To think about a young person feeling a lack of hope because of what the folks in this building and in Washington, DC are doing."

6. Wide of school kids leaving legislature

7. Tight of foot walking past state seal with word "CONSTITUTION"

8. Wide of Tami Fitzgerald of NC Values Coalition walking out of legislature

9. SOUNDBITE (English): Tami Fitzgerald, NC Values Coalition

"When Congress passed the Civil Rights Act and Title IX, they never contemplated that sex would mean gender identity. It's not in the bill. It's not what the bill says. It's not what the law says. And so we think that the directive that the Obama administration issued about interpreting sex as meaning gender identity is wrong, and it should be repealed."

10. Tight of Fitzgerald's name tag

11. SOUNDBITE (English): Tami Fitzgerald, NC Values Coalition

"I agree with President Trump. This IS a state issue. And the federal government was engaged in gross overreach when it issued this directive that impacted every public school in the country."

12. Mid of sign for school groups touring legislature

13. SOUNDBITE (English): Ames Simmons, Equality NC

"We believe that this is a terrible message that the Trump administration is sending to some of the most vulnerable young people in our country today. That the president and the administration are not going to protect them from discrimination, no matter what Title IX says."

14. Tight of sign for school groups

15. Wide of woman and son outside legislature

16. SOUNDBITE (English): Tina Matthews, Visiting Capital with Son

"I think that everybody deserves an equal shot at being who they are, love who they want to love and be able to go into a bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity."

17. Wide of legislative building

18. Mid of fluttering American flag

19. Mid of North Carolina flag

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the president wants Senate Republicans to put forward a health care bill "that has heart".

Spicer told reporters during a White House briefing Tuesday that Donald Trump has "made it clear from the beginning that that was one of his priorities".

It is unclear how the administration defines the term "heart".

Spicer is also blaming Democrats for being left out of negotiations over a Senate bill that could come to vote next week.

He says Democrats "made it very clear that they didn't want to engage in this process" of writing a bill to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law.

The Republican effort to secretly craft a health care bill and push it through the Senate is drawing fire from members of both parties.

Washington - 20 June 2017

1. Wide of news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"The president clearly wants a bill that has heart in it. He believes that health care is something that is near and dear to so many families and individuals. He made it clear from the beginning that that was one of his priorities and as the Senate works its way through this bill as the House did, any ideas are welcome to strengthen it, to make it more affordable, more accessible and deliver the care that it needs. But this is an area that the president believes passionately about."

3. Cutaway of reporter

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter: "Has the president has seen a draft of the Senate health care bill?")

"I don't know that. I know that there was some chatter today. I know the president has been on the phone extensively with the leader and with key senators, so I don't know if he's seen the legislation or not, but I know that they've been working extremely hard and the president has been giving his input and has ideas, feedback to them. And he's very excited about where this thing is headed."

5. Close of reporter asking if anyone on Trump's staff has seen a draft of the health care bill

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I don't. I know that they are up there working hand and glove with them, so to the extent that it's - I don't even know where we are in terms of a final plan. I know that the staff has been working very closely with the leader staff, with Senate finance and others. So I don't want to get ahead of an announcement on Senator McConnell saying when the final product is done. So I will refer you back to him."

7. Close of reporter asking question UPSOUND (English) Reporter: "So how is what's happening now with this bill being crafted, frankly behind closed doors, any different from what Republicans criticised Democrats for doing?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I think we wanted to be part of the process back then. If you look at what Senator Schumer said both in February both to a MoveOn.org call, where he said that no Democrat's going to go near this and what he said in a letter on May 9th, he said that no Democrats would be part of an effort that would repeal Obamacare. So they have chosen to take themselves... to not make themselves a part of this process."

9. Cutaway of briefing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I'm not going to get ahead of - I'll let Senator McConnell determine the Senate schedule and run the Senate that he sees fit. But let's not mistake ourselves with how they approach this thing. Their leader, Senator Schumer, made it very clear on at least two separate occasions that they didn't want to be part of this process. They didn't want to repeal and replace Obamacare. They were happy with Obamacare. We believe Obamacare is failing. We want a better system for the American people, a patient-centric health care system that brings down cost and gives more accessibility to people. That's it. They chose not to... made it very clear that they didn't want to engage in this process. To turn around now and to second-guess - that's something that they should take up with their own leader."

11. Cutaway of briefing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"The president was pleased that he was able to work with the State Department and get Otto home as soon as he could. But I think when you realize what happened, the president believes that - had it happened sooner or quicker, potentially there might have been additional medical resources that could have been provided. He's just obviously saddened by this entire situation and just would've hoped that it could have been resolved earlier."

13. Spicer walks out of room

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the president "clearly wants" Senate Republicans to put forward a health care bill "that has heart."

Spicer tells reporters during a White House briefing that Donald Trump has "made it clear from the beginning that that was one of his priorities."

It is unclear how the administration defines the term "heart."

Spicer is also blaming Democrats for being left out of negotiations over a Senate bill that could come to vote next week.

He says Democrats "made it very clear that they didn't want to engage in this process" of writing a bill to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law.

The Republican effort to secretly craft a health care bill and push it through the Senate is drawing fire from members of both parties.

Washington - 20 June 2017

1. Cutaway of press briefing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"The president clearly wants a bill that has heart in it. He believes that health care is something that is near and dear to so many families and individuals. He made it clear from the beginning that that was one of his priorities and as the Senate works its way through this bill as the House did, any ideas are welcome to strengthen it, to make it more affordable, more accessible and deliver the care that it needs. But this is an area that the president believes passionately about."

3. Close of reporter

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, responding to question about whether the president has seen a draft of the Senate health care bill:

"I don't know that. I know that there was some chatter today. I know the president has been on the phone extensively with the leader and with key senators, so I don't know if he's seen the legislation or not, but I know that they've been working extremely hard and the president has been giving his input and has ideas, feedback to them. And he's very excited about where this thing is headed."

5. Close of reporter asking if anyone on Trump's staff has seen a draft of the health care bill

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I don't. I know that they are up there working hand and glove with them, so to the extent that it's -- I don't even know where we are in terms of a final plan. I know that the staff has been working very closely with the leader staff, with Senate finance and others. So I don't want to get ahead of an announcement on Senator McConnell saying when the final product is done. So I will refer you back to him."

7. Close of reporter asking question UPSOUND (English) Reporter: "So how is what's happening now with this bill being crafted, frankly behind closed doors, any different from what Republicans criticized Democrats for doing?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I think we wanted to be part of the process back then. If you look at what Senator Schumer said both in February both to a MoveOn.org call, where he said that no Democrat's going to go near this and what he said in a letter on May 9th, he said that no Democrats would be part of an effort that would repeal Obamacare. So they have chosen to take themselves -- not make themselves a part of this process."

9. Mid cutaway of briefing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I'm not going to get ahead of -- I'll let Senator McConnell determine the Senate schedule and run the Senate that he sees fit. But let's not mistake ourselves with how they approach this thing. Their leader, Senator Schumer, made it very clear on at least two separate occasions that they didn't want to be part of this process. They didn't want to repeal and replace Obamacare. They were happy with Obamacare. We believe Obamacare is failing. We want a better system for the American people, a patient-centric health care system that brings down cost and gives more accessibility to people. That's it. They chose not to -- made it very clear that they didn't want to engage in this process. To turn around now and to second-guess -- that's something that they should take up with their own leader."

11. Wide cutaway of briefing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"The president was pleased that he was able to work with the State Department and get Otto home as soon as he could. But I think when you realize what happened, the president believes that -- had it happened sooner or quicker, potentially there might have been additional medical resources that could have been provided. He's just obviously saddened by this entire situation and just would've hoped that it could have been resolved earlier."

13. Spicer walks out of room

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says the president "clearly wants" Senate Republicans to put forward a health care bill "that has heart."

Spicer tells reporters during a White House briefing that Donald Trump has "made it clear from the beginning that that was one of his priorities."

It is unclear how the administration defines the term "heart."

Spicer is also blaming Democrats for being left out of negotiations over a Senate bill that could come to vote next week.

He says Democrats "made it very clear that they didn't want to engage in this process" of writing a bill to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law.

The Republican effort to secretly craft a health care bill and push it through the Senate is drawing fire from members of both parties.

Washington - 20 June 2017

1. Cutaway of press briefing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"The president clearly wants a bill that has heart in it. He believes that health care is something that is near and dear to so many families and individuals. He made it clear from the beginning that that was one of his priorities and as the Senate works its way through this bill as the House did, any ideas are welcome to strengthen it, to make it more affordable, more accessible and deliver the care that it needs. But this is an area that the president believes passionately about."

3. Close of reporter

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, responding to question about whether the president has seen a draft of the Senate health care bill:

"I don't know that. I know that there was some chatter today. I know the president has been on the phone extensively with the leader and with key senators, so I don't know if he's seen the legislation or not, but I know that they've been working extremely hard and the president has been giving his input and has ideas, feedback to them. And he's very excited about where this thing is headed."

5. Close of reporter asking if anyone on Trump's staff has seen a draft of the health care bill

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I don't. I know that they are up there working hand and glove with them, so to the extent that it's -- I don't even know where we are in terms of a final plan. I know that the staff has been working very closely with the leader staff, with Senate finance and others. So I don't want to get ahead of an announcement on Senator McConnell saying when the final product is done. So I will refer you back to him."

7. Close of reporter asking question UPSOUND (English) Reporter: "So how is what's happening now with this bill being crafted, frankly behind closed doors, any different from what Republicans criticized Democrats for doing?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I think we wanted to be part of the process back then. If you look at what Senator Schumer said both in February both to a MoveOn.org call, where he said that no Democrat's going to go near this and what he said in a letter on May 9th, he said that no Democrats would be part of an effort that would repeal Obamacare. So they have chosen to take themselves -- not make themselves a part of this process."

9. Mid cutaway of briefing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"I'm not going to get ahead of -- I'll let Senator McConnell determine the Senate schedule and run the Senate that he sees fit. But let's not mistake ourselves with how they approach this thing. Their leader, Senator Schumer, made it very clear on at least two separate occasions that they didn't want to be part of this process. They didn't want to repeal and replace Obamacare. They were happy with Obamacare. We believe Obamacare is failing. We want a better system for the American people, a patient-centric health care system that brings down cost and gives more accessibility to people. That's it. They chose not to -- made it very clear that they didn't want to engage in this process. To turn around now and to second-guess -- that's something that they should take up with their own leader."

11. Wide cutaway of briefing

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"The president was pleased that he was able to work with the State Department and get Otto home as soon as he could. But I think when you realize what happened, the president believes that -- had it happened sooner or quicker, potentially there might have been additional medical resources that could have been provided. He's just obviously saddened by this entire situation and just would've hoped that it could have been resolved earlier."

13. Spicer walks out of room

President Donald Trump said he supports a bill that imposes sanctions on Russia Wednesday with foreign countries, disputing reports that he begrudgingly signed the legislation.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee said the president was in support of such measures.

The legislation is aimed at punishing Moscow for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad. The law also imposes financial sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

In the most remarkable example of public Trump-bashing, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is taking aim at the president and his own party in a new book, writing that "unnerving silence in the face of an erratic executive branch is an abdication" and marveling at "the strange specter of an American president's seeming affection for strongmen and authoritarians."

The criticism from Flake is especially striking since he is one of just two GOP senators facing competitive re-election races in next year's midterm elections, the other being Dean Heller of Nevada.

Asked about the book, Sanders replied, "Senator Flake would serve his constituents much better if he was less focused on writing a book and attacking the president and passing legislation."

Washington - August 2, 2017

1. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

"This morning the president signed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The president favors tough measures to deter bad behavior of the rogue regimes in Iran and North Korea. And he also sent a clear signal that we won't tolerate interference in our democratic process by Russia. The bill was improved but Congress has encroached on the power of the presidency, and he signed it in the interest of national unity. We've been very clear that we support tough sanctions on all three of those countries. We continue to do so. And that has certainly not changed. And I think that was reflected in the statements today."

(Reporter question off camera): "At one point one of the finer aspects of the bill, in the findings, it stated Russia did in fact try to interfere in the U.S. elections. And the president's statement on this, the signing statement, he did not quibble with that. Is that an indication that he does accept the finding that Russia interfered in our election?"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "The president's already said that himself directly at the news conference in Poland."

(Reporter question off camera): "He's also said that other actors may have been involved."

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "May have been involved as well, but he doesn't dispute the fact that Russia was, and he said that in Poland at the news conference, that I believe you were present for."

3. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question off camera): "Can you explain why the Justice Department's civil rights division is devoting its limited time and resources to --"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "Quite an accusatory question but I'd be happy to respond. The New York Times article is based entirely on uncorroborated inferences from a leaked internal personnel posting in violation of Department of Justice policy. And while the White House does not confirm or deny the existence of potential investigations, the Department of Justice will always review credible allegation of discrimination on the basis of any race."

5. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question off camera): "What exactly is Sean Spicer's role in this administration at this point? And how much longer do you expect him to stay on staff? And then something on the signing statement."

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "As he said, I believe that was, gosh a week or so ago. The days all kind of run together now. But he was going to stay on in a transition process through August and nothing has changed."

(Reporter question off camera): "So nothing has changed because of Anthony Scaramucci leaving?"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "No. Nothing has changed at this point."

7. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question off camera): "Is the president still thinking of helping to fund the $10-million-dollar challenge against Senator Flake? And does he have any response to Senator Flake's comments?"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "I'm not sure about any potential funding of the campaign, but I think that Senator Flake would serve his constituents much better if he was less focused on writing a book and attacking the president and passing legislation."

9. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

President Donald Trump said he supports a bill that imposes sanctions on Russia Wednesday with foreign countries, disputing reports that he begrudgingly signed the legislation.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee said the president was in support of such measures.

The legislation is aimed at punishing Moscow for interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad. The law also imposes financial sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

In the most remarkable example of public Trump-bashing, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is taking aim at the president and his own party in a new book, writing that "unnerving silence in the face of an erratic executive branch is an abdication" and marveling at "the strange specter of an American president's seeming affection for strongmen and authoritarians."

The criticism from Flake is especially striking since he is one of just two GOP senators facing competitive re-election races in next year's midterm elections, the other being Dean Heller of Nevada.

Asked about the book, Sanders replied, "Senator Flake would serve his constituents much better if he was less focused on writing a book and attacking the president and passing legislation."

Washington - August 2, 2017

1. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

"This morning the president signed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The president favors tough measures to deter bad behavior of the rogue regimes in Iran and North Korea. And he also sent a clear signal that we won't tolerate interference in our democratic process by Russia. The bill was improved but Congress has encroached on the power of the presidency, and he signed it in the interest of national unity. We've been very clear that we support tough sanctions on all three of those countries. We continue to do so. And that has certainly not changed. And I think that was reflected in the statements today."

(Reporter question off camera): "At one point one of the finer aspects of the bill, in the findings, it stated Russia did in fact try to interfere in the U.S. elections. And the president's statement on this, the signing statement, he did not quibble with that. Is that an indication that he does accept the finding that Russia interfered in our election?"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "The president's already said that himself directly at the news conference in Poland."

(Reporter question off camera): "He's also said that other actors may have been involved."

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "May have been involved as well, but he doesn't dispute the fact that Russia was, and he said that in Poland at the news conference, that I believe you were present for."

3. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question off camera): "Can you explain why the Justice Department's civil rights division is devoting its limited time and resources to --"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "Quite an accusatory question but I'd be happy to respond. The New York Times article is based entirely on uncorroborated inferences from a leaked internal personnel posting in violation of Department of Justice policy. And while the White House does not confirm or deny the existence of potential investigations, the Department of Justice will always review credible allegation of discrimination on the basis of any race."

5. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question off camera): "What exactly is Sean Spicer's role in this administration at this point? And how much longer do you expect him to stay on staff? And then something on the signing statement."

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "As he said, I believe that was, gosh a week or so ago. The days all kind of run together now. But he was going to stay on in a transition process through August and nothing has changed."

(Reporter question off camera): "So nothing has changed because of Anthony Scaramucci leaving?"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "No. Nothing has changed at this point."

7. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question off camera): "Is the president still thinking of helping to fund the $10-million-dollar challenge against Senator Flake? And does he have any response to Senator Flake's comments?"

(Sarah Huckabee Sanders): "I'm not sure about any potential funding of the campaign, but I think that Senator Flake would serve his constituents much better if he was less focused on writing a book and attacking the president and passing legislation."

9. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he supports a bill that imposes sanctions on Russia, disputing reports that he begrudgingly signed the legislation.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee said the president was in support of such measures.

The legislation is aimed at punishing Moscow for interfering in the 2016 US presidential election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad. The law also imposes financial sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

Washington DC - 2 August 2017

1. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

"This morning the president signed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. The president favors tough measures to punish and deter bad behavior of the rogue regimes in Iran and North Korea. And he also sent a clear signal that we won't tolerate interference in our democratic process by Russia. The bill was improved but Congress has encroached on the power of the presidency, and he signed it in the interest of national unity. We've been very clear that we support tough sanctions on all three of those countries. We continue to do so. And that has certainly not changed. And I think that was reflected in the statements today."

(Reporter question: "At one point one of the finer aspects of the bill, in the findings, it stated Russia did in fact try to interfere in the U.S. elections. And the president's statement on this, the signing statement, he did not quibble with that. Is that an indication that he does accept the finding that Russia interfered in our election?")

"The president's already said that himself directly at the news conference in Poland."

(Reporter question "He's also said that other actors may have been involved.")

"...may have been involved as well, but he doesn't dispute the fact that Russia was, and he said that in Poland at the news conference, that I believe you were present for."

3. Huckabee Sanders at podium

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question: "Can you explain why the Justice Department's civil rights division is devoting its limited time and resources to...")

"Quite an accusatory question but I'd be happy to respond. The New York Times article is based entirely on uncorroborated inferences from a leaked internal personnel posting in violation of Department of Justice policy. And while the White House does not confirm or deny the existence of potential investigations, the Department of Justice will always review credible allegation of discrimination on the basis of any race."

5. Huckabee Sanders at podium

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question: "What exactly is Sean Spicer's role in this administration at this point? And how much longer do you expect him to stay on staff? And then something on the signing statement.")

"As he said, I believe that was, gosh a week or so ago. The days all kind of run together now. But he was going to stay on in a transition process through August and nothing has changed."

(Reporter question "So nothing has changed because of Anthony Scaramucci leaving?")

"No. Nothing has changed at this point."

7. Huckabee Sanders at podium

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House Press Secretary:

(Reporter question "Is the president still thinking of helping to fund the $10-million-dollar challenge against Senator Flake? And does he have any response to Senator Flake's comments?")

"I'm not sure about any potential funding of the campaign, but I think that Senator Flake would serve his constituents much better if he was less focused on writing a book and attacking the president and passing legislation."

9 . Huckabee Sanders at podium