The Department of Defense has presented its preliminary plan to defeat the Islamic State group. White House press secretary Sean Spicer says the plan was delivered to the White House by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The president is expected to address some of the details of that plan in his address to Congress tomorrow.

Questions about Trump advisers' contacts with Russian intelligence agents were revived by revelations that chief of staff Reince Priebus discussed the matter with high-level FBI officials, despite an ongoing investigation into those contacts.

Washington DC - 27 February 2017

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

"As you might already know the Department of Defense presented its preliminary plan to the White House today to defeat ISIS. This plan has been delivered by Secretary Mattis who is currently breaking the principals on the option presented today and seeking their input and feedback."

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

"The New York Times published a story about what they called 'contacts' between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The FBI deputy director was at a meeting here at the White House that morning. After the meeting concluded, he asked the chief of staff to stand back a second he wanted to tell him that the report in the New York Times was "bs." For viewers at home, I think we can pretty much figure out what that means. But I'll leave it at that. At that time the chief of staff said "thank you for sharing that with me, can we let other people know that's the story is not accurate?" Throughout the day they went back and forth to see what they thought was appropriate. Finally they came to the conclusion that they did not want to get into the process of knocking down every story that they had issues with."

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

(Reporter question off camera): "You don't think there is something strange, or something odd about the White House press secretary getting the CIA director on the phone to knock down a story about an investigation?"

(Sean Spicer): "No. No. But you see, respectfully, you are using words like "knock down." There was a story in the newspaper, hold on, no, no. There were reporters coming to us saying there is a story out there, "what is your take on it?" And our answer was we don't believe it is accurate. We don't believe it's false. But obviously that's our take on it."

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

(Reporter question off camera): "Do you now categorically deny there were no contacts between the Russians and anyone on the campaign?"

(Sean Spicer): "I guess my point is is that you've had the intelligence community look at Russia's involvement in the election. You've had the House and the Senate both do the same. And so what I am trying to ascertain is that at what point how many people have to say there is nothing there before you realize there is nothing there?"

The Department of Defense has presented its preliminary plan to defeat the Islamic State group. White House press secretary Sean Spicer says the plan was delivered to the White House by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The president is expected to address some of the details of that plan in his address to Congress tomorrow.

Questions about Trump advisers' contacts with Russian intelligence agents were revived by revelations that chief of staff Reince Priebus discussed the matter with high-level FBI officials, despite an ongoing investigation into those contacts.

Washington DC - 27 February 2017

1. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer

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

"The New York Times published a story about what they called 'contacts' between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The FBI deputy director was at a meeting here at the White House that morning. After the meeting concluded, he asked the chief of staff to stand back a second he wanted to tell him that the report in the New York Times was "bs." For viewers at home, I think we can pretty much figure out what that means. But I'll leave it at that. At that time the chief of staff said "thank you for sharing that with me, can we let other people know that's the story is not accurate?" Throughout the day they went back and forth to see what they thought was appropriate. Finally they came to the conclusion that they did not want to get into the process of knocking down every story that they had issues with."

3. Spicer speaking

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

(Reporter question off camera): "You don't think there is something strange, or something odd about the White House press secretary getting the CIA director on the phone to knock down a story about an investigation?"

(Sean Spicer): "No. No. But you see, respectfully, you are using words like "knock down." There was a story in the newspaper, hold on, no, no. There were reporters coming to us saying there is a story out there, "what is your take on it?" And our answer was we don't believe it is accurate. We don't believe it's false. But obviously that's our take on it. And reporters were saying to us "well is there anybody that you can point to substantiate this claim?" Now remember, this all started with the FBI coming to us, bringing it to our attention saying that the story in the Times was not accurate, in fact it was "bs." And all we did was simply say "that's great, could you tell other reporters the same thing you are telling us?"

5. Spicer speaking

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

(Reporter question off camera): "Do you now categorically deny there were no contacts between the Russians and anyone on the campaign?"

(Sean Spicer): "I guess my point is is that you've had the intelligence community look at Russia's involvement in the election. You've had the House and the Senate both do the same. And so what I am trying to ascertain is that at what point how many people have to say there is nothing there before you realize there is nothing there? I cannot say unequivocally, all I am saying is the people who have done the investigating about Russia over all, and its activities in the United States, specifically now with respect to our election, haven't provided anything that lead me to believe, or should leave you to believe, and I continue to see reports coming from different media sources saying that when they checked in with law enforcement or intelligence community sources, there is nothing more then what has been previously reported over and over again."

7. Spicer speaking

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

(Reporter question off camera): "Just to follow up on that, did you personally reach out to Pompeo?"

(Sean Spicer): "I'm not going to discuss what we did internally. I'm just going to say that when we shared, we did our job about making sure that when people had, reporters had questions, we let them know which subject matter experts were available to discuss the accuracy of a newspaper story."

9. Spicer speaking

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

"As you might already know the Department of Defense presented its preliminary plan to the White House today to defeat ISIS. This plan has been delivered by Secretary Mattis who is currently breaking the principals on the option presented today and seeking their input and feedback. Finally I wanted to note the president continues to be deeply disappointed and concerned by the reports of further vandalism at Jewish cemeteries. The cowardly destruction in Philadelphia this weekend comes on top of similar accounts from Missouri and threats made to Jewish community centers around the country. The president continues to condemn these and any other form of anti-Semitic and hateful acts in the strongest terms."

11. Spicer speaking

The US Department of Defence has presented its preliminary plan to defeat the Islamic State group (IS).

White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday said the plan was delivered to the White House by Defence Secretary James Mattis.

The president is expected to address some of the details of that plan in his address to Congress tomorrow.

Questions about Trump advisers' contacts with Russian intelligence agents were revived in Monday's briefing by revelations that Chief of Staff Reince Priebus discussed the matter with high-level FBI officials, despite an ongoing investigation into those contacts.

Washington DC - 27 February 2017

1. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer

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

"The New York Times published a story about what they called 'contacts' between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The FBI deputy director was at a meeting here at the White House that morning. After the meeting concluded, he asked the chief of staff to stand back a second he wanted to tell him that the report in the New York Times was 'BS.' For viewers at home, I think we can pretty much figure out what that means. But I'll leave it at that. At that time the chief of staff said "thank you for sharing that with me, can we let other people know that's the story is not accurate?" Throughout the day they went back and forth to see what they thought was appropriate. Finally they came to the conclusion that they did not want to get into the process of knocking down every story that they had issues with."

3. Spicer speaking

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

(Reporter question off camera): "You don't think there is something strange, or something odd about the White House press secretary getting the CIA director on the phone to knock down a story about an investigation?"

(Sean Spicer): "No. No. But you see, respectfully, you are using words like 'knock down.' There was a story in the newspaper, hold on, no, no. There were reporters coming to us saying there is a story out there, 'what is your take on it?' And our answer was we don't believe it is accurate. We don't believe it's false. But obviously that's our take on it. And reporters were saying to us "well is there anybody that you can point to substantiate this claim?" Now remember, this all started with the FBI coming to us, bringing it to our attention saying that the story in the Times was not accurate, in fact it was 'BS.' And all we did was simply say "that's great, could you tell other reporters the same thing you are telling us?"

5. Spicer speaking

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

(Reporter question off camera): "Do you now categorically deny there were no contacts between the Russians and anyone on the campaign?"

(Sean Spicer): "I guess my point is that you've had the intelligence community look at Russia's involvement in the election. You've had the House and the Senate both do the same. And so what I am trying to ascertain is that at what point how many people have to say there is nothing there before you realize there is nothing there? I cannot say unequivocally, all I am saying is the people who have done the investigating about Russia over all, and its activities in the United States, specifically now with respect to our election, haven't provided anything that lead me to believe, or should leave you to believe, and I continue to see reports coming from different media sources saying that when they checked in with law enforcement or intelligence community sources, there is nothing more then what has been previously reported over and over again."

7. Spicer speaking

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

(Reporter question off camera): "Just to follow up on that, did you personally reach out to Pompeo?"

(Sean Spicer): "I'm not going to discuss what we did internally. I'm just going to say that when we shared, we did our job about making sure that when people had, reporters had questions, we let them know which subject matter experts were available to discuss the accuracy of a newspaper story."

9. Spicer speaking

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

"As you might already know the Department of Defense presented its preliminary plan to the White House today to defeat ISIS. This plan has been delivered by Secretary Mattis who is currently breaking the principals on the option presented today and seeking their input and feedback. Finally I wanted to note the president continues to be deeply disappointed and concerned by the reports of further vandalism at Jewish cemeteries. The cowardly destruction in Philadelphia this weekend comes on top of similar accounts from Missouri and threats made to Jewish community centers around the country. The president continues to condemn these and any other form of anti-Semitic and hateful acts in the strongest terms."

11. Spicer speaking

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says that the results of President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month "are paying off" with respect to North Korea.

The Trump administration has repeatedly called on China to increase pressure on North Korea to comply with U.N. demands that it halt nuclear and missile tests.

China is urging a return to negotiations over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons after Vice President Mike Pence warned that the U.S. has lost its patience with the regime.

Pence said during a Monday visit to South Korea that the North needs to abandon its weapons program and stop testing ballistic missiles.

Spicer said that during his visit to South Korea, Pence reassured the U.S. ally that "under President Trump, our iron clad alliance will be even stronger."

A North Korea missile exploded during launch in the latest test on Sunday.

Washington - 17 April 2017

1. Various of White House press briefing

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

"But, I think with respect to North Korea in particular, the president had a really good meeting with President Xi down in Mar-a-Lago where I think he's spoken extensively about the relationship that they made down there and that they continue to work to improve and the results of that are paying off. I think you see China playing a much more active role with respect to North Korea. Both politically and economically, they can continue to apply pressure to achieve results and I think we're going to continue to urge China to exhibit its influence in the region to get better results."

3. Various of White House press briefing

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

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I think we've had a very productive direction that we've seen China move in and I think there's an agreement by everyone so far that a nuclear capable North Korea is not in anybody's best interest and I think we're going to continue to work with the Chinese, in particular, on this case."

5. Various of White House press briefing

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

"The Vice President is delivering a message to the people of the Republic of Korea on behalf of the president that even in these troubled times, the United States stands with them for a free and secure future. Under President Trump, our iron clad alliance will be even stronger. Our nations will be safer and the Asia-Pacific region will be more secure."

7. Various of White House press briefing

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says that the results of President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month "are paying off" with respect to North Korea.

The Trump administration has repeatedly called on China to increase pressure on North Korea to comply with U.N. demands that it halt nuclear and missile tests.

China is urging a return to negotiations over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons after Vice President Mike Pence warned that the U.S. has lost its patience with the regime.

Pence said during a Monday visit to South Korea that the North needs to abandon its weapons program and stop testing ballistic missiles.

Spicer said that during his visit to South Korea, Pence reassured the U.S. ally that "under President Trump, our iron clad alliance will be even stronger."

A North Korea missile exploded during launch in the latest test on Sunday.

Washington - 17 April 2017

1. Various of White House press briefing

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

"But, I think with respect to North Korea in particular, the president had a really good meeting with President Xi down in Mar-a-Lago where I think he's spoken extensively about the relationship that they made down there and that they continue to work to improve and the results of that are paying off. I think you see China playing a much more active role with respect to North Korea. Both politically and economically, they can continue to apply pressure to achieve results and I think we're going to continue to urge China to exhibit its influence in the region to get better results."

3. Various of White House press briefing

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

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I think we've had a very productive direction that we've seen China move in and I think there's an agreement by everyone so far that a nuclear capable North Korea is not in anybody's best interest and I think we're going to continue to work with the Chinese, in particular, on this case."

5. Various of White House press briefing

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

"The Vice President is delivering a message to the people of the Republic of Korea on behalf of the president that even in these troubled times, the United States stands with them for a free and secure future. Under President Trump, our iron clad alliance will be even stronger. Our nations will be safer and the Asia-Pacific region will be more secure."

7. Various of White House press briefing

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says that the results of President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month "are paying off" with respect to North Korea.

The Trump administration has repeatedly called on China to increase pressure on North Korea to comply with U.N. demands that it halt nuclear and missile tests.

China is urging a return to negotiations over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons after Vice President Mike Pence warned that the U.S. has lost its patience with the regime.

Pence said during a Monday visit to South Korea that the North needs to abandon its weapons program and stop testing ballistic missiles.

Spicer said that during his visit to South Korea, Pence reassured the U.S. ally that "under President Trump, our iron clad alliance will be even stronger."

A North Korea missile exploded during launch in the latest test on Sunday.

Washington - 17 April 2017

1. Various of White House press briefing

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

"But, I think with respect to North Korea in particular, the president had a really good meeting with President Xi down in Mar-a-Lago where I think he's spoken extensively about the relationship that they made down there and that they continue to work to improve and the results of that are paying off. I think you see China playing a much more active role with respect to North Korea. Both politically and economically, they can continue to apply pressure to achieve results and I think we're going to continue to urge China to exhibit its influence in the region to get better results."

3. Various of White House press briefing

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

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I think we've had a very productive direction that we've seen China move in and I think there's an agreement by everyone so far that a nuclear capable North Korea is not in anybody's best interest and I think we're going to continue to work with the Chinese, in particular, on this case."

5. Various of White House press briefing

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

"The Vice President is delivering a message to the people of the Republic of Korea on behalf of the president that even in these troubled times, the United States stands with them for a free and secure future. Under President Trump, our iron clad alliance will be even stronger. Our nations will be safer and the Asia-Pacific region will be more secure."

7. Various of White House press briefing

STORY

On January 12th 2017 President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the CIA says Russian meddling in the president election was an aggressive action taken by senior Russian leaders. At his confirmation hearing on Thursday, congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas says it's pretty clear Russia worked to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy. Trump has voiced scepticism that Russia was behind hacking of political sites. But he said Wednesday for the first time that he believes Russia was responsible for the hacking. Pompeo also said he expected to be able to present the incoming administration with intelligence that is sound and that the leadership would make decisions based on that intelligence. US President Donald Trump said in his speech on January 20th that he will govern the country by putting America first. Trump said as president that "from this day forward it's going to be only America first". He said that every decision he makes, on issues from trade to taxes to immigration and foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and families. "We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries" taking American jobs, Trump said. US President Donald Trump signed his first executive order on January 20th, ordering federal agencies to ease the burden of former President Barrack Obama's sweeping health care law. No details were given on what the order contained. Trump was joined in the Oval Office by Vice President Mike Pence, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and other top advisers as he signed the executive order on the so-called "Obamacare" law that he opposed throughout his campaign. Trump also formally signed the commissions of incoming Defence Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Pence later swore them in at a separate ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the vice president's suite of offices is located. On January 26th White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US President Donald Trump will seek a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for a proposed border wall. The wall is part of Trump's plan to halt illegal immigration to the U.S., and he has long insisted that Mexico will pay. Mexican President Pena Nieto insists his country will not. On the flight back to Washington, Spicer told reporters travelling with the president that Trump will seek to impose a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall. Congressional approval would be needed for such a step. Trump's brief trip to Philadelphia to speak with Congressional Republicans at their policy retreat, marked his first flight on Air Force One, the familiar blue and white government plane that has long ferried presidents around the country and the world. Trump spoke to reporters on board the plane, describing Air Force One as a "beautiful, great plane." On January 27th President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May were seen holding hands for a brief period of time as they walked along the colonnade at the White House, before Trump tapped on May's hand and they let go. The two appeared to be in conversation following joint remarks made earlier at a news conference. May's meeting with the US president in Washington, D.C. is being hailed by the British government as a sign that the tarns-Atlantic "special relationship" is valued by the new US administration. On January 29th protests have erupted for the second day after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to temporarily bar refugees and citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the White House, while a smaller group protested outside an airport in Morrisville, North Carolina, holding banners in support of refugees and immigrants and chanting anti-Trump slogans. Several thousand people gathered near Prime Minister Theresa May's London residence on January 30th to protest against a planned state visit by US President Donald Trump. Protesters held signs and placards, some branding May "shameless", and chanted "No state visit!" Many said they were protesting to express their anger over Trump's immigration ban. January 30th's protest near 10 Downing Street was the largest of a series of protests across the country, including in Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and Glasgow. An online petition opposing Trump's state visit has more than 1.5 million signatures. Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures must be considered for a debate in Parliament, though not a binding vote. US President Donald Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates on January 31st after she announced she would not defend his controversial immigration order. He is naming Dana Boente, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve in her place. The White House press office said in a statement that Yates "has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." The statement calls Yates an Obama administration appointee "who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration." Trump's order from Friday temporarily suspends the US refugee programme and bars immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump has picked Senator Jeff Sessions to lead the Justice Department, but he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on January 31st defended President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration. Kelly said that the order is "not a travel ban. This is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system." Nordstrom says it will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories, creating some questions about the future of the brand elsewhere. The Seattle-based department store chain said the decision was based on the sales performance of the first daughter's brand. Neiman Marcus may be the next one to pull back on the label, as the branded jewellery is nowhere to be seen on the up scale retailer's website as of 3rd February. "We've said all along we make buying decisions based on performance," said Nordstrom in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "We've got thousands of brands” more than 2,000 offered on the site alone. Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business." Nordstrom said that each year the chain cuts about 10 percent and refreshes its assortment with about the same amount. "In this case, based on the brand's performance we've decided not to buy it for this season," Nordstrom added. Lord & Taylor only said it continues to carry the brand. Neiman Marcus, Macy's and Dillard's, which also carry the label, didn't immediately reply to AP's query. The move by Nordstrom Inc. comes amid a social media campaign called "Grab Your Wallet," urging a boycott of stores that stock Ivanka Trump or Donald Trump products. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press late Friday, Rosemary K. Young, senior director of marketing at Ivanka Trump, said that the brand continues to expand across all categories and distribution, resulting in "significant" revenue growth last year compared to the previous year. "We believe that the strength of a brand is measured not only by the profits it generates, but the integrity it maintains," said Young in the statement. "The women behind the brand represent a diverse group of professionals and we are proud to say that the Ivanka Trump brand continues to embody the principles upon which it was founded." An unnamed spokesperson for the brand contradicted Nordstrom's statement, saying that Nordstrom did order both shoes and clothing for spring and moved forward with the purchase of clothing. Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, says that retailers walk a tight rope when it comes to celebrity brands but given the politics surrounding the Ivanka Trump brand, that only adds extra controversy, particularly given such a politically divisive climate. Liebmann noted a decision of whether to pull a brand is politically loaded even if it's based on poor sales performance. "The brand is vulnerable," Liebmann said. "Retailers view their role as having the right products for the right consumer, not being pulled in a political situation." She noted that some shoppers may not want to wear the Ivanka Trump brand because they may want to avoid making a political statement. Ivanka Trump announced earlier this month that she would take a leave of absence from her clothing and accessories business as well as the Trump organization. US President Donald Trump's embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned late on February 13th, following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. His departure upends Trump's senior team after less than one month in office. In a resignation letter, Flynn said he gave Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's ambassador to the US. The vice president, apparently relying on information from Flynn, initially said the national security adviser hadn't discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, though Flynn later conceded the issue may have come up. Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the acting national security adviser. Kellogg had previously been appointed the National Security Council chief of staff and advised Trump during the campaign. Trump is also considering former CIA Director David Petraeus and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a US Navy SEAL, for the post, according to a senior administration official. The Trump team's account of Flynn's discussions with the Russian envoy changed repeatedly over several weeks, including the number of contacts, the dates of those contacts and ultimately, the content of the conversations. Late in January, the Justice Department warned the White House that Flynn could be in a compromised position as a result of the contradictions between the public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew to be true based on recordings of the conversations, which were picked up as part of routine monitoring of foreign officials communications in the US. A US official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. US President Donald Trump on February 16th said his ousted national security adviser was a "fine person" after offering his resignation amid reports of contact with Russian officials. Trump was recounting why he asked Michael Flynn for his resignation. The president said at a news conference that he was "not happy" with how information about Flynn's phone call to a Russian diplomat was relayed to Vice President Mike Pence. But Trump says what Flynn did "wasn't wrong" - and called attention to what he described as "classified information that was given illegally." Dakota Access pipeline protesters are ceremonially burning some of their living structures ahead of the closure of a long-standing camp in North Dakota. About 200 to 300 protesters remain at the camp near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. The Army Corps of Engineers has ordered the camp closed at 2 p.m. February 22nd, citing the potential for spring flooding. Those left in camp milled about peacefully Wednesday, many in prayer. At least four wooden structures were being burned in what protesters say is part of the ceremony of leaving. Authorities in North Dakota are offering assistance and services to Dakota Access pipeline protesters as they close a long-standing encampment near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. A White House spokeswoman said March 3rd that Vice President Mike Pence "did everything to the letter of the law" after public records revealed that he used a private email account to conduct public business as Indiana's governor. The Indianapolis Star reported that emails provided through a public records request show that Pence communicated with advisers through his personal AOL account on homeland security matters and security at the governor's residence during his four years as governor. The governor also faced email security issues. Pence's AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before he was chosen by Donald Trump to join the GOP presidential ticket. Pence's contacts were sent an email falsely claiming that the governor and his wife were stranded in the Philippines and needed money. As Trump's running mate, Pence frequently criticized rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as President Barrack Obama's secretary of state, accusing her of purposely keeping her emails out of public reach and shielding her from scrutiny. Hours before it was to take effect, President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was put on hold March 15th by a federal judge in Hawaii who questioned whether the administration was motivated by national security concerns. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson also said Hawaii would suffer financially if the executive order blocked the flow of students and tourists to the state, and he concluded that Hawaii was likely to succeed on a claim that the ban violates First Amendment protections against religious discrimination. A federal judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, has blocked US President Donald Trump's revised travel ban targeting six predominantly Muslim countries. Judge Theodore Chuang ruled on Thursday in a case brought near the nation's capital by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and other groups representing immigrants, refugees and their families. It was the latest ruling against Trump's revised travel ban. On March 15th, a federal judge in Hawaii blocked Trump's revised travel ban hours before it was to take effect, marking the second time courts have thwarted Trump's efforts to freeze immigration by refugees and citizens of some predominantly Muslim nations. Government lawyers argued that the ban was substantially revised from an earlier version signed in January that was later blocked by a federal judge in Washington state. They said the ban was ordered in the interest of national security to protect the US from "radical Islamic terrorism." During his campaign as a Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump called for a "total and complete shut-down of Muslims entering the United States." Trump's campaign said in a statement that such a ban should stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." It said the proposal comes in response to a level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward US citizens. At an evening rally in South Carolina in December 2015, Trump supporters cheered and shouted in support as he read his statement. An earlier version of the executive order, issued in late January, was blocked by a judge in Seattle, sparking harsh criticism from the president of both the judge and his decision. Trump said at the time that the court fight over his refugee and immigration executive order could end up in the Supreme Court. Speaking to reporters on 7 February 2017, Trump said he was going to take his fight to uphold the directive "through the system." A federal appeals court refused to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, dealing another legal setback to the new administration's immigration policy. In a unanimous decision, the panel of three judges from the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block a lower-court ruling that suspended the ban and allowed previously barred travellers to enter the US. Moments after the ruling was released, Trump tweeted, "SEE YOU IN COURT," adding that "THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" Declaring "the start of a new era" in energy production, President Donald Trump signed an executive order March 28th that he said would revive the coal industry and create jobs. The move makes good on his campaign pledge to unravel former President Barrack Obama's plan to curb global warming. The order seeks to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels. Environmental activists, including former Vice President Al Gore, denounced the plan. But Trump said the effort would allow workers to "succeed on a level playing field for the first time in a long time." "That is what this is all about: bringing back our jobs, bringing back our dreams and making America wealthy again," Trump said, during a ceremony at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, attended by a number of coal miners. In addition to pulling back from the Clean Power Plan, the administration will also lift a 14-month-old moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands.

SHOWS

(HD version available in \\Source_Clips\Newsroom Failures)

Pompeo: Russia aimed to influence US election

4075583

POOL

Washington DC - 12 January 2017

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Marco Rubio, (R) Florida:

"In your personal opinion, is Vladimir Putin and the Russians looking at all this and saying 'we did a really good job of creating chaos, division, instability in the American political process?"

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Mike Pompeo, CIA Director Nominee:

"I have no doubt that the discourse that's been taking place is something that Vladimir Puttin would look at and say, 'Wow, that was among the objectives that I have."

00:20:23

Trump to govern by putting America first

4076960

POOL

Washington, DC - 20 January 2017

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President: ++INCLUDES SHOTS OF CROWDS++

" From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America First, America First." (++Crowds clapping)

00:39:22

Trump signs executive orders in Oval Office

4077026

POOL

Washington DC - 20 January 2017

4. US President Donald Trump signing commission allowing General James Mattis to be sworn in as Defence Secretary

00:46:24

Spicer: Trump Seeks 20% Tax on Mexican Imports

4078053

POOL

On Board Air Force One - 26 January 2017

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

"If you tax that $50 billion at 20 percent of imports - which is by the way a practice that 160 other countries do - right now our country's policy is to tax exports and let imports flow freely in, which is ridiculous."

01:02:06

Trump, May hold hands outside White House

4078211

AP TELEVISION

Washington,D.C. - 27 January 2017

6. Tracking shot of British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump walking outside White House, holding hands for a few seconds

01:10:09

US protests against Trump's immigration ban

4078426

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC/Morrisville - 29 January 2017

7. Protesters on ground gathering outside White House, holding banners and chanting slogans in support of refugees

01:21:12

UK protest against Trump's state visit

4078640

AP TELEVISION

London - 30 January 2017

++NIGHT SHOTS++

8. Protesters standing in front of Downing Street with signs and posters

9. Close of sign that reads (English) "Shameless May, Fascist Tyrant"

10. Close of sign that reads (English) "No to racism, no to Trump"

01:46:12

Trump fires Attorney General Sally Yates

4078666

POOL

FILE: Washington, DC - 28 June 2016

11. Various of Sally Yates, now former acting US Attorney General speaking at briefing while serving as Deputy Attorney General

01:54:19

US Homeland Security chief defends travel ban

4078785

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 31 January 2017

12. SOUNDBITE (English): John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security:

" It is important to understand that there are terrorists and other bad actors who are seeking to infiltrate our homeland every single day."

02:02:13

Nordstrom will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories

4079404

AP Entertainment

New York, 29 June 2012

13. Medium of Ivanka Trump talking and showing her clothing line

AP Entertainment

New York, 14 April 2015

14. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arriving at the Vanity Fair Tribeca Film Festival party

02:17:16

US National Security Adviser Flynn resigns and Kellogg takes over as acting US National Security Adviser

4080946

US POOL

Washington DC - Recent/File

Washington DC - 20 January 2017

15. Michael Flynn arrives at inauguration

New York - 7 October 2016

16. General Kellogg, sitting next to Trump, speaking

02:30:06

Trump: Russia links reports are "fake news"

4081499

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 16 February 2017

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"I can tell you from speaking for myself, I own nothing in Russia, I have no loans in Russia, I don't have any deals in Russia. (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin called me up very nicely to congratulate me on the win of the election, he then called me up extremely nicely to congratulate me on the inauguration which was terrific, but so did many other leaders, almost all other leaders from almost all other countries, so that's the extent. Russia is fake news, this is fake news put out by the media."

03:03:24

Pipeline Protesters Set Fires to Close Camp

4082450

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Near Cannon Ball - 22 February 2017

++QUALITY AS INCOMING++

18. Wide pan of area with protesters and fire

03:16:18

Pence responds to use of private email account

4084169

POOL

Janesville, Wisconsin - 3 March 2017

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pence, Vice President:

(Reporter question off camera: "Why did you decide to use your private email accounts to deal with some public business?")

"I did. We issued a statement on that. I am very confident that our email practices were in full compliance with all of Indiana's laws. And in my service as a vice president will continue, will continue that practice."

03:31:02

Federal judge in Hawaii puts travel ban on hold

4086131

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Honolulu - 15 March 2017

20. Wide of press conference beginning

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Doug Chin, Hawaii Attorney General

" It showed that they were trying even harder to mask what was a religious animus."

03:42:17

Trump suffers second travel ban defeat

4086216

POOL

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina - 7 December 2015

22. Donald Trump walking to podium

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. We have no choice."

04:07:09

Trump signs roll-back on Obama era climate plans

4088397

POOL

Washington DC - 28 March 2017

24. US President Donald Trump signing executive order

HD version available in \\Source_Clips\Newsroom Failures

A White House spokesman says top adviser Kellyanne Conway has been "counseled" after she urged people to buy Ivanka Trump products during an interview on Fox News.

Sean Spicer says: "She's been counseled, and that's all we're going to say."

Conway spoke on Fox News Thursday morning from the White House briefing room. She encouraged people to "go buy Ivanka's stuff." She made the comments a day after Trump attacked Nordstrom on Twitter for dropping his daughter's fashion line.

While Trump himself is not subject to the standards of ethical conduct for federal employees, Conway is. Among the rules: An employee shall not use his or her office "for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise."

Spicer was also asked about a Reuters report that President Trump in his recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the START treaty, calling it a "bad deal."

Spicer refused to comment on the question, saying the "president's conversation with President Putin is a private call between the two of them and I'm going to leave it at that."

On Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, the White House spokesman said President Trump has "no regrets" about the pick, despite reports that Gorsuch told Senators he was "disheartened" by Trump's denigration of federal judges.

Washington - 9 February 2017

1. Sean Spicer walking into briefing room

2. Cutaway of Spicer at podium

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

"Kellyanne has been counseled and that's all we're going to go with. She's been counseled on that subject, and that's it."

4. Cutaway of FOX reporter asking about START treaty

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

"The president's conversation with President Putin is a private call between the two of them and I'm going to leave it at that. We put a readout on the call and we have nothing further beyond that."

6. Cutaway of press

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

"I think the president's comments speak for themselves - no he has no regrets. But he's very proud of the selection he's made and he's gonna make a great associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

(reporter, off camera: Not about the selection, about the comments he said, for example, about ...)

I understand that and he has no regrets"

8. Wide shot of press

A White House spokesman says top adviser Kellyanne Conway has been "counselled" after she urged people to buy Ivanka Trump products during an interview on Fox News.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer says: "She's been counselled, and that's all we're going to say."

Conway spoke on Fox News Thursday morning from the White House briefing room. She encouraged people to "go buy Ivanka's stuff."

She made the comments a day after Trump attacked Nordstrom on Twitter for dropping his daughter's fashion line.

While Trump himself is not subject to the standards of ethical conduct for federal employees, Conway is. Among the rules: An employee shall not use his or her office "for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise."

Spicer was also asked about a report that President Trump in his recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the START treaty, calling it a "bad deal."

Spicer refused to comment on the question, saying the "president's conversation with President Putin is a private call between the two of them and I'm going to leave it at that."

On Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, the White House spokesman said President Trump has "no regrets" about the pick, despite reports that Gorsuch told Senators he was "disheartened" by Trump's denigration of federal judges.

Washington - 9 February 2017

1. Sean Spicer walking into briefing room

2. Cutaway of Spicer at podium

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

"Kellyanne has been counselled and that's all we're going to go with. She's been counselled on that subject, and that's it."

4. Cutaway of FOX reporter asking about START treaty

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

"The president's conversation with President Putin is a private call between the two of them and I'm going to leave it at that. We put a readout on the call and we have nothing further beyond that."

6. Cutaway of press

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

"I think the president's comments speak for themselves - no he has no regrets. But he's very proud of the selection he's made and he's gonna make a great associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

(reporter, off camera: Not about the selection, about the comments he said, for example, about ...)

I understand that and he has no regrets."

8. Wide shot of press

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, DC - 17 February 2017

1. Scrolling image of memo over Department of Homeland Security logo

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Nogales, Arizona - 9 October 2017

2. National Guard soldier looking with binoculors across US-Mexico border

3. Low angle of National Guard soldier standing with rifle

4. Border Patrol officer searching illegal imigration suspect

5. Row of suspected illegal immigrants sitting on ground

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Columbus, New Mexico - 12 June 2006

6. Closeup of border surveillance camera

7. National Guard soldier walking away from "skybox" surveillance unit

8. National Guard soldier with binoculars

9. Close of National guard member guarding border with binoculars

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, DC - 17 February 2017

10. Twitter screenshots of Sean Spicer tweet

11. Image of DHS Secretary John Kelly's name on document

12. Scrolling images of document over DHS logo

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Columbus, New Mexico - 12 June 2006

13. Various of National Guard soldier with gun

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, DC - 17 February 2017

14. Map of border states in red with DHS logo

15. Map of additional states mentioned in document

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Nogales, Arizona - 9 October 2017

16. Border Patrol officer with line of cars

STORYLINE:

A draft memo obtained by the Associated Press indicates that the Trump administration has considered a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants, in states along the U.S.-Mexico border... and as far north as Oregon and Colorado.

National Guard personnel have been used to assist with immigration-related missions on the U.S.-Mexico border before.

But they have never been used as broadly or as far north.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says the AP report is not true.

Spicer indicated that the document did not come from the White House:

The memo bears the name of U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

S Department of Homeland Security official described the document as a very early draft that was never seriously considered, though DHS staffers tell the AP it was discussed as recently as last week.

According to the memo, governors in the 11 states would have a choice whether to have their guard troops participate.

The proposal includes four states that border on Mexico: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

But it also includes seven other states that don't: Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

Washington, DC - 17 February 2017

1. Scrolling image of memo over Department of Homeland Security logo

Nogales, Arizona - 9 October 2017

2. National Guard soldier looking with binoculors across US-Mexico border

3. Low angle of National Guard soldier standing with rifle

4. Border Patrol officer searching illegal imigration suspect

5. Row of suspected illegal immigrants sitting on ground

Columbus, New Mexico - 12 June 2006

6. Closeup of border surveillance camera

7. National Guard soldier walking away from "skybox" surveillance unit

8. National Guard soldier with binoculars

9. Close of National guard member guarding border with binoculars

Washington, DC - 17 February 2017

10. Twitter screenshots of Sean Spicer tweet

11. Image of DHS Secretary John Kelly's name on document

12. Scrolling images of document over DHS logo

Columbus, New Mexico - 12 June 2006

13. Various of National Guard soldier with gun

Washington, DC - 17 February 2017

14. Map of border states in red with DHS logo

15. Map of additional states mentioned in document

Nogales, Arizona - 9 October 2017

16. Border Patrol officer with line of cars

Jared Kushner, senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, welcomed technology executives to the White House Monday.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabetwere among the attendees for an afternoon of discussions on modernizing government.

Also there were Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel and Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google parent company Alphabet.

The gathering was the first event for a technology-focused effort within the White House Office of American Innovation, which seeks to overhaul government functions using ideas from the business sector.

Kushner said they had "assembled a very impressive group of leaders from the private sector and are putting them to work here today to work on some of the country's biggest challenges that will make a very meaningful difference to a lot of its citizens."

Kushner said that while he had been warned that government change could be slow, he has found "exactly the opposite" and he praised the "talented civil servants" he is working with.

He also cited some examples of the current technology infrastructure, noting the use of floppy discs in Pentagon "legacy systems."

The meeting comes after some technology executives clashed with Trump over his decision to exit the Paris climate accord.

Leaders at Apple and Google were among the American corporate executives who appealed to the president to stay in the pact.

Chris Liddell, a White House aide who directs the technology effort, said the executives would participate in a series of working groups, concluding with a session with the president.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the administration is focusing on technology this week. He said there was "a lot of room for optimization in the federal government."

POOL

Washington - June 19, 2017

1. Wide of Jared Kushner

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jared Kushner, Senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump

"We created the White House Office of American Innovation in an effort to bring business sensibility to a government that for too long has relied on past practices as automatic justification for their continuation. Before I came to Washington many warned me that the bureaucracy would resist any change that we would try to implement. So far I have found exactly the opposite. To date, we've been working with hundreds of talented civil servants -- men and women who want to serve their country and see their government do better. We have challenged ourselves to pursue change that will provide value to Americans long after our tenure here."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jared Kushner, Senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump

"It turns out that federal agencies collectively operate 6100 data centers -- the vast majority of which can be consolidated and migrated to the cloud. Something that a lot of you know a lot about. Many of our federal systems are decades old, with our ten oldest being between 39 and 50 years old. The Department of Defense, for example, still uses 8 inch floppy disks on some of its legacy systems. The 1980 paperwork reduction act designed to make government more efficient, but also established before the government used computers still has domain over every form published online. This requires a six month review and rigorous inter-agency process to approve any changes that can be made on a government website -- regardless of how minor they are."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jared Kushner, Senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump

"Our goal here is simple: We are here to improve the day-to-day lives of the average citizen. That's a core promise and we are keeping it. Together we will unleash the creativity of the private sector to provide citizen services in a way that has never happened before. We will foster a new set of startups focused on govtech and be a global leader in the field making government more transparent and responsive to citizens' needs."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jared Kushner, Senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump

"Two weeks ago Secretary Shulkin announced a plan to unify the electronic medical records systems of the VA and the DOD. As the two systems encompass essentially the same set of users, this merger would seem obvious. However, this has been a major issue for veterans, and despite 16 years of failed efforts, the Trump administration got it done in less than five months. Additionally, the VA has already been able to reduce the average wait time for claims from 25 days to eight. Secretary Shulkin has done an outstanding job and has many more announcements that will be coming soon including a big one this coming Friday."

6. Kushner exits

On Tuesday, the White House refused to comment on reports that President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner tried to set up secret communications with Russia during Trump's presidential transition period.

"What your question assumes are a lot of facts that are not substantiated by anything but anonymous sources that are so far being leaked out," said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, rejecting the premise of a reporter's question.

In a series of tweets, Trump also discredited reports, calling them "fabricated lies" and "fake news."

On Sunday, Trump's Homeland Security secretary, John Kelly, defended the idea of such a secret communications channel on Sunday morning news shows, calling it "a smart thing."

Reports of contacts between Kushner and Russia have dogged the Trump administration for months, with the news that Kushner and Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn met with the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. in December.

Kushner has volunteered to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee to answer questions about communications with Russia.

++SHOTS COVERED BY TEXT GRAPHICS++

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 21, 2017

1. STILL of Jared Kushner sitting behind Donald Trump

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland - May 7, 2017

2. STILL of Jared Kushner on runway after stepping off Air Force One

Washington - May 30, 2017

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

"What your question assumes are a lot of facts that are not substantiated by anything but anonymous sources that are so far being leaked out."

Washington - May 29, 2017

4. STILL of Donald Trump speaking at podium

Washington - May 30, 2017

5. STILL of Various screengrabs of Donald Trump tweets

Washington - May 25, 2017

6. STILL of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly testifies to Senate Appropriations committee

Washington - January 23, 2017

7. STILL of Jared Kushner stands in Oval Office behind Donald Trump, who is signing an executive order

Washington - January 20, 2017

8. STILL of Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn, left, stand in Oval Office

Washington - September 6, 2013

9. STILL of Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak

Washington - January 22, 2017

10. STILL of Jared Kushner

Hempstead, New York - September 26, 2016

11. STILL of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton shaking hands after a presidential debate

On Tuesday, the White House refused to comment on reports that President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner tried to set up secret communications with Russia during Trump's presidential transition period.

"What your question assumes are a lot of facts that are not substantiated by anything but anonymous sources that are so far being leaked out," said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, rejecting the premise of a reporter's question.

In a series of tweets, Trump also discredited reports, calling them "fabricated lies" and "fake news."

On Sunday, Trump's Homeland Security secretary, John Kelly, defended the idea of such a secret communications channel on Sunday morning news shows, calling it "a smart thing."

Reports of contacts between Kushner and Russia have dogged the Trump administration for months, with the news that Kushner and Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn met with the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. in December.

Kushner has volunteered to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee to answer questions about communications with Russia.

++SHOTS COVERED BY TEXT GRAPHICS++

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 21, 2017

1. STILL of Jared Kushner sitting behind Donald Trump

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland - May 7, 2017

2. STILL of Jared Kushner on runway after stepping off Air Force One

Washington - May 30, 2017

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

"What your question assumes are a lot of facts that are not substantiated by anything but anonymous sources that are so far being leaked out."

Washington - May 29, 2017

4. STILL of Donald Trump speaking at podium

Washington - May 30, 2017

5. STILL of Various screengrabs of Donald Trump tweets

Washington - May 25, 2017

6. STILL of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly testifies to Senate Appropriations committee

Washington - January 23, 2017

7. STILL of Jared Kushner stands in Oval Office behind Donald Trump, who is signing an executive order

Washington - January 20, 2017

8. STILL of Jared Kushner and Michael Flynn, left, stand in Oval Office

Washington - September 6, 2013

9. STILL of Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak

Washington - January 22, 2017

10. STILL of Jared Kushner

Hempstead, New York - September 26, 2016

11. STILL of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton shaking hands after a presidential debate

Seeking to tamp down growing unease in Latin America, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly pledged Thursday that America won't enlist its military to enforce immigration laws and that there will be "no mass deportations."

Only hours earlier, President Donald Trump suggested the opposite. He told CEOs at the White House the deportation push was a "military operation."

Kelly, speaking in Mexico's capital, said all deportations will honour human rights and follow the U.S. legal system. He said that includes multiple appeals offered to those facing deportation.

Kelly said the U.S. approach will involve "close coordination" with Mexico's government.

Yet while Kelly and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to alleviate Mexico's concerns, Trump was fanning them further with tough talk about "getting really bad dudes out of this country at a rate nobody has ever seen before."

It was an altogether different message and tone from Kelly and Tillerson, who travelled here to meet with top Mexican officials at a time of intense turbulence for U.S.- Mexico relations.

Indeed, Trump acknowledged he had sent his top diplomat south of the border on a "tough trip."

In contrast to Trump, Tillerson and Kelly focused on what they described as a solid U.S. commitment to work closely with Mexico on border security, illegal immigration and trafficking of drugs and weapons — issues Trump has made a central focus of his young presidency, much to Mexico's dismay.

Both Tillerson and Kelly appeared to downplay any major rift between the U.S. and Mexico.

For Mexico, that patience appeared to be running short.

Mexico has been incensed that the U.S. announced — without Mexico's sign-off — that people caught crossing the border illegally will be sent back to Mexico — even those from third countries who have no connection to Mexico.

Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, Kelly's Mexican counterpart, said that concern had come up, too.

Both countries said it was positive that the neighbours remained committed to working through the disputes diplomatically, though there were no indications they were any closer to a resolution.

As the Americans wrapped up their Mexico visit, they remained at odds with their hosts over the deportations and over the massive border wall Trump has vowed to construct at Mexico's expense.

Trump spoke during the presidential campaign about using a "deportation force," and his Homeland Security Department at one point considered using the National Guard to help with deportations, although the White House has said that idea has been ruled out.

The Homeland Security Department didn't immediately respond to requests to clarify why Trump's remark about "a military operation" had conflicted with that of Kelly, who blamed the media for "misreporting."

At the White House, spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump hadn't been speaking literally. He said Trump used the "military operation" phrase "as an adjective" to describe the precision with which immigration enforcement was being carried out.

Tillerson and Kelly were meeting behind closed doors with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto before returning to Washington.

Pena Nieto recently cancelled a trip to Washington over Trump's insistence that Mexico pay for the wall. It has not been rescheduled.

In addition to sending border-crossers from third countries into Mexico, new memos signed by Kelly this week prioritise deportation for anyone charged or convicted of any crime, rather than just serious crimes.

That potentially subjects millions in the U.S. illegally to deportation, including many Mexicans.

Those policies have raised fears in Mexico about the possibility of deportee and refugee camps emerging along Mexico's northern border.

Mexican officials were also apprehensive that a forthcoming report ordered by Trump's administration listing all current U.S. aid to Mexico is intended to threaten Mexico into compliance over immigration or the wall.

Mexico has also raised concerns about Trump's pledge to overhaul the trade relationship and possibly apply steep taxes to Mexican products, a move with profound impacts for Mexico's export-heavy economy.

Tillerson said the leaders had agreed the trade relationship needed to be modernised and strengthened.

Mexico City - 23 February 2017

1. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Mexican foreign Minister Luis Videgaray walking to lecterns

2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Luis Videgaray, Mexican Foreign Minister:

"We have expressed to Secretaries (Rex) Tillerson and (John) Kelly, first of all, our concern for the respect of the rights of Mexicans in the United States - particularly (referring to) human rights. And we have heard a profound coincidence from the part of the secretaries, which is an encouraging sign that this very important matter will be channeled in keeping with the mechanics of work and dialogue that we must continue building."

3. Tillerson and Videgaray at the podium

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State:

"We recognize the existing US-Mexico cooperation to curtail irregular migration both by securing Mexico's southern border and by supporting efforts of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, through the Alliance for Prosperity, to reduce violence and stimulate opportunity in the region. On this issue we discussed the importance of fair treatment of all of those in this transit."

5. Tillerson and Videgaray at the podium

6. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Osorio Chong, Mexican Minister of the Interior:

"We stated our disagreement on some of the recently announced measures by the Department of the Interior of the United States which have direct implications for our country and our countrymen. In particular, we have shared our worries at an eventual rise in deportations and the possibility that citizens of other countries may be returned to our national territory until their legal situations (asylum in US) are resolved."

7. Chong and Kelly at podiums

8. SOUNDBITE (English) John Kelly, US Homeland Security Secretary:

"There will be no, repeat, no mass deportations. Everything we do in DHS will be done legally, in accordance to human rights in the legal justice system of the United States. All deportations will be according to our legal justice system."

9. Tillerson shaking hands with Foreign Minister Videgaray

The Department of Homeland Security says it was an idea that was never seriously considered.

Still, staff members say that as recently as last Friday, there was discussion of a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants.

The idea is outlined in an 11-page draft memo obtained by The Associated Press.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says it's "not a White House document," and that there was "no effort at all" to use the National Guard in that way.

A Homeland Security official says the document was never brought to the department's secretary for approval.

According to the memo, governors in the 11 states would have a choice whether to have their guard troops participate.

Washington - February 17, 2017

1. Wide of Caldera

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"So, this is a terrible idea whose time has not come. It's, the National Guard, first, you'd have to federalize them and this kind of role, states are going to be very resistant to having their national guards used in this way, second of all, they absolutely have no training to deal with law enforcement in this kind of manner. In fact, there's a federal law, the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits the National Guard from being used for law enforcement. Now, the administration might argue that they're being used to enforce federal law, not civil law in the state, but I think it's still a grave question mark."

3. Wide of Caldera

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"Many of them happen to be law enforcement personnel, firefighters, civil servants. To think that you would pull them out of their very important civilian roles to have them do a job for which they were not trained in which they could expose themselves -- or which many of them won't want to do is really just a misuse of their commitment to serve the country as guardsmen."

5. Wide of Caldera

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"Yes, you know, we have a Posse Comitatus act actually prohibits military personnel to enforce civilian laws, and there's a reason for that. Because this country was created to remove oppression of think king using military forces in civilian communities. So, it would be absolutely unprecedented. It's like trying to find a way to double or triple the size of the border patrol without ever having to go to Congress to have to ask for an appropriation to be able to do that."

7. Wide of Caldera

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"Well, the president has been so eager to demonstrate that he's making progress on his campaign commitments -- especially commitments on things like building a wall and removing undocumented immigrants from the country -- that they're trying to figure out how to circumvent having to go to the Congress to pass a law to get an appropriation to implement policies that already work. So, in their haste to try to figure out if there's a faster, quicker ways to do this, they're coming up with all sorts of what would be considered completely out of the box ideas. This is clearly an out of the box idea, and what that needs to be put back in the box."

9. Wide of Caldera

The Department of Homeland Security says it was an idea that was never seriously considered.

Still, staff members say that as recently as last Friday, there was discussion of a proposal to mobilize as many as 100,000 National Guard troops to round up unauthorized immigrants.

The idea is outlined in an 11-page draft memo obtained by The Associated Press.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says it's "not a White House document," and that there was "no effort at all" to use the National Guard in that way.

A Homeland Security official says the document was never brought to the department's secretary for approval.

According to the memo, governors in the 11 states would have a choice whether to have their guard troops participate.

Washington - February 17, 2017

1. Wide of Caldera

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"So, this is a terrible idea whose time has not come. It's, the National Guard, first, you'd have to federalize them and this kind of role, states are going to be very resistant to having their national guards used in this way, second of all, they absolutely have no training to deal with law enforcement in this kind of manner. In fact, there's a federal law, the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits the National Guard from being used for law enforcement. Now, the administration might argue that they're being used to enforce federal law, not civil law in the state, but I think it's still a grave question mark."

3. Wide of Caldera

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"Many of them happen to be law enforcement personnel, firefighters, civil servants. To think that you would pull them out of their very important civilian roles to have them do a job for which they were not trained in which they could expose themselves -- or which many of them won't want to do is really just a misuse of their commitment to serve the country as guardsmen."

5. Wide of Caldera

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"Yes, you know, we have a Posse Comitatus act actually prohibits military personnel to enforce civilian laws, and there's a reason for that. Because this country was created to remove oppression of think king using military forces in civilian communities. So, it would be absolutely unprecedented. It's like trying to find a way to double or triple the size of the border patrol without ever having to go to Congress to have to ask for an appropriation to be able to do that."

7. Wide of Caldera

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Louis Caldera, George Washington University Professor, Former Secretary of the Army under President Bill Clinton

"Well, the president has been so eager to demonstrate that he's making progress on his campaign commitments -- especially commitments on things like building a wall and removing undocumented immigrants from the country -- that they're trying to figure out how to circumvent having to go to the Congress to pass a law to get an appropriation to implement policies that already work. So, in their haste to try to figure out if there's a faster, quicker ways to do this, they're coming up with all sorts of what would be considered completely out of the box ideas. This is clearly an out of the box idea, and what that needs to be put back in the box."

9. Wide of Caldera

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called former acting attorney general Sally Yates "a political opponent" of President Donald Trump, saying the administration acted appropriately following Yates' warning about former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Yates says she bluntly warned the Trump White House in January that new National Security Adviser Michael Flynn "essentially could be blackmailed" by the Russians because he apparently had lied to his bosses about his contacts with Moscow's ambassador in Washington.

"Ultimately, the president made the right decision," Spicer said during Tuesday's press briefing.

Yates, an Obama administration holdover fired soon after for other reasons, marked her first public comments about the concerns she raised and filled in basic details about the chain of events that led to Flynn's ouster in February.

Spicer also told reporters Tuesday that Trump has asked his team to "rethink the strategy" of winning the war in Afghanistan.

"Just because you spend more and throw more people (in) doesn't mean you're doing it in the most effective way," he said.

Washington - May 9, 2017

1. Sean Spicer enters

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

"Sally Yates came here on the 26th of January, then she informed the counsel's office that there were materials that were relevant to the situation. It wasn't until about seven days later that they had access to those documents. After that time, they did what you should do, frankly, is an element of due process. Reviewing the situation, they informed the president right away after they were informed of her giving us a heads up, and, ultimately, the president made the right decision. But I guess the question or the point I would put back on you is, somebody came over, gave us a heads up on a situation, told us there were materials, we were provided those materials seven days later, reviewed those materials, underwent a process of reviewing the situation and ultimately the president made the decision and it was the right one. So, I think that the process worked, frankly in the time in which we had the information to make the decision that the president made."

3. Cutaway of Spicer

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

"She had come here, given us a heads up and told us there were materials, and at the same time we did what we should do. Just because someone comes in and gives us a heads up about something and says 'I want to share some information doesn't mean you immediately jump the gun and take an action. I think if you flip this scenario and say 'what if we just dismissed somebody because a political opponent of the president had made an utterance?' You would argue that it was pretty irrational to act in that matter. We did what we were supposed to do. The president made, ultimately, the right decision and I think he was proven that..."

REPORTER: "How was she a political opponent of the president?"

SPICER: "She.. appointed by the Obama administration and a strong supporter of Clinton."

5. Cutaway of Spicer

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, asked what victory in Afghanistan means to President Trump

"I think reducing the threat especially when it comes to ISIS and the Taliban."

REPORTER: "Reducing the threat?"

SPICER: "Well, I mean, minimizing, eliminating, but obviously in the best-case scenario... Major... I'm going to answer Mara's question. I think the answer is that we want to eliminate the threats that are against our national security and pose a threat to our citizens, our allies. So, we need to fully eliminate any threat around the globe, frankly, not just in Afghanistan that pose a threat to our people and our allies."

7. Cutaway of Spicer

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

"Just because you spend more, throw more people doesn't mean you're doing it in the most effective way. I think one of the things that he has asked his national security team to do is actually re-think the strategy. What are we doing to achieve the goals that you are asking about? How do we win? How do we eliminate the threat? And I think doing that isn't just a question of throwing money or people, but looking at the mission and the strategy and that's what the team has been doing holistically, not just in Afghanistan but a total beyond Afghanistan it's also the way that he's asking to look at the threat that ISIS poses."

9. Cutaway of Spicer

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called former acting attorney general Sally Yates "a political opponent" of President Donald Trump, saying the administration acted appropriately following Yates' warning about former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Yates says she bluntly warned the Trump White House in January that new National Security Adviser Michael Flynn "essentially could be blackmailed" by the Russians because he apparently had lied to his bosses about his contacts with Moscow's ambassador in Washington.

"Ultimately, the president made the right decision," Spicer said during Tuesday's press briefing.

Yates, an Obama administration holdover fired soon after for other reasons, marked her first public comments about the concerns she raised and filled in basic details about the chain of events that led to Flynn's ouster in February.

Spicer also told reporters Tuesday that Trump has asked his team to "rethink the strategy" of winning the war in Afghanistan.

"Just because you spend more and throw more people (in) doesn't mean you're doing it in the most effective way," he said.

Washington - May 9, 2017

1. Sean Spicer enters

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

"Sally Yates came here on the 26th of January, then she informed the counsel's office that there were materials that were relevant to the situation. It wasn't until about seven days later that they had access to those documents. After that time, they did what you should do, frankly, is an element of due process. Reviewing the situation, they informed the president right away after they were informed of her giving us a heads up, and, ultimately, the president made the right decision. But I guess the question or the point I would put back on you is, somebody came over, gave us a heads up on a situation, told us there were materials, we were provided those materials seven days later, reviewed those materials, underwent a process of reviewing the situation and ultimately the president made the decision and it was the right one. So, I think that the process worked, frankly in the time in which we had the information to make the decision that the president made."

3. Cutaway of Spicer

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

"She had come here, given us a heads up and told us there were materials, and at the same time we did what we should do. Just because someone comes in and gives us a heads up about something and says 'I want to share some information doesn't mean you immediately jump the gun and take an action. I think if you flip this scenario and say 'what if we just dismissed somebody because a political opponent of the president had made an utterance?' You would argue that it was pretty irrational to act in that matter. We did what we were supposed to do. The president made, ultimately, the right decision and I think he was proven that..."

REPORTER: "How was she a political opponent of the president?"

SPICER: "She.. appointed by the Obama administration and a strong supporter of Clinton."

5. Cutaway of Spicer

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, asked what victory in Afghanistan means to President Trump

"I think reducing the threat especially when it comes to ISIS and the Taliban."

REPORTER: "Reducing the threat?"

SPICER: "Well, I mean, minimizing, eliminating, but obviously in the best-case scenario... Major... I'm going to answer Mara's question. I think the answer is that we want to eliminate the threats that are against our national security and pose a threat to our citizens, our allies. So, we need to fully eliminate any threat around the globe, frankly, not just in Afghanistan that pose a threat to our people and our allies."

7. Cutaway of Spicer

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

"Just because you spend more, throw more people doesn't mean you're doing it in the most effective way. I think one of the things that he has asked his national security team to do is actually re-think the strategy. What are we doing to achieve the goals that you are asking about? How do we win? How do we eliminate the threat? And I think doing that isn't just a question of throwing money or people, but looking at the mission and the strategy and that's what the team has been doing holistically, not just in Afghanistan but a total beyond Afghanistan it's also the way that he's asking to look at the threat that ISIS poses."

9. Cutaway of Spicer

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer called former acting attorney general Sally Yates "a political opponent" of president Donald Trump, saying the administration acted appropriately following Yates' warning about former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Yates says she bluntly warned the Trump White House in January that new National Security Adviser Michael Flynn "essentially could be blackmailed" by the Russians because he apparently had lied to his bosses about his contacts with Moscow's ambassador in Washington.

"Ultimately, the president made the right decision," Spicer said during Tuesday's press briefing.

Yates, an Obama administration holdover fired soon after for other reasons, marked her first public comments about the concerns she raised and filled in basic details about the chain of events that led to Flynn's ouster in February.

Spicer also told reporters Tuesday that Trump has asked his team to "rethink the strategy" of winning the war in Afghanistan.

"Just because you spend more and throw more people (in) doesn't mean you're doing it in the most effective way," he said.

Washington - May 9, 2017

1. Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary

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

"Sally Yates came here on the 26th of January, then she informed the counsel's office that there were materials that were relevant to the situation. It wasn't until about seven days later that they had access to those documents. After that time, they did what you should do, frankly, is an element of due process. Reviewing the situation, they informed the president right away after they were informed of her giving us a heads up, and, ultimately, the president made the right decision. But I guess the question or the point I would put back on you is, somebody came over, gave us a heads up on a situation, told us there were materials, we were provided those materials seven days later, reviewed those materials, underwent a process of reviewing the situation and ultimately the president made the decision and it was the right one. So, I think that the process worked, frankly in the time in which we had the information to make the decision that the president made."

3. Cutaway of Spicer

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

"She had come here, given us a heads up and told us there were materials, and at the same time we did what we should do. Just because someone comes in and gives us a heads up about something and says 'I want to share some information doesn't mean you immediately jump the gun and take an action. I think if you flip this scenario and say 'what if we just dismissed somebody because a political opponent of the president had made an utterance?' You would argue that it was pretty irrational to act in that matter. We did what we were supposed to do. The president made, ultimately, the right decision and I think he was proven that..."

REPORTER: "How was she a political opponent of the president?"

SPICER: "She.. appointed by the Obama administration and a strong supporter of Clinton."

5. Cutaway of Spicer

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary, asked what victory in Afghanistan means to President Trump

"I think reducing the threat especially when it comes to ISIS and the Taliban."

REPORTER: "Reducing the threat?"

SPICER: "Well, I mean, minimizing, eliminating, but obviously in the best-case scenario... Major... I'm going to answer Mara's question. I think the answer is that we want to eliminate the threats that are against our national security and pose a threat to our citizens, our allies. So, we need to fully eliminate any threat around the globe, frankly, not just in Afghanistan that pose a threat to our people and our allies."

7. Cutaway of Spicer

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

"Just because you spend more, throw more people doesn't mean you're doing it in the most effective way. I think one of the things that he has asked his national security team to do is actually re-think the strategy. What are we doing to achieve the goals that you are asking about? How do we win? How do we eliminate the threat? And I think doing that isn't just a question of throwing money or people, but looking at the mission and the strategy and that's what the team has been doing holistically, not just in Afghanistan but a total beyond Afghanistan it's also the way that he's asking to look at the threat that ISIS poses."

9. Cutaway of Spicer

White House Spokesman Sean Spicer refused to comment on Thursday on whether WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be in prison.

Responding to a question at the daily briefing in Washigton DC, Spicer said Assange has "compromised in the past and undermined our national security," but he said he would leave the rest up to the Department of Justice.

Spicer was also asked about President Donald Trump's knowledge of former national security adviser Michael Flynn's dealings with the Turkish government.

Flynn, who was fired from the White House last month, has registered as a foreign agent with the Justice Department for work that may have aided the Turkish government in exchange for 530,000 US dollars.

Spicer said he isn't sure how much the president knew about Flynn's work with Turkey.

Flynn's consulting firm, Flynn Intel Group Inc., previously disclosed to Congress its work for a company owned by a Turkish businessman.

But it had not filed with the Justice Department, which requires more extensive transparency. The new filings show Flynn's firm was paid 530,000 US dollars.

Trump fired Flynn last month for misleading key administration officials about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the US.

Washington DC - 9 March 2017

1. Wide shot of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer walking into the briefing room

2. UPSOUND: Reporter, off camera:

"Some Republicans have said Julian Assange should be in prison. Does the president agree?"

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

"I think the US government has had a position on Julian Assange's position in the past and I don't see anything that's changed that. He is compromised in the past and undermined our national security and I think I will leave it up to the Department of Justice to further comment on their disposition of him."

3. UPSOUND: Fox News Reporter John Roberts:

"Was the president aware that Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn was acting as a foreign agent when he appointed him to be the national security adviser?"

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

"I don't believe that that was known. I would refer you to General Flynn and to the Department of Justice in terms of the filings that have been made."

5. UPSOUND: John Roberts, off camera:

"Had the president known that, would he have appointed him?"

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

"I don't know, John. That's a hypothetical that I'm not prepared to ask. I don't know what he discussed prior to being appointed in terms of his background, his resume, his client base. I don't know any of that. I know from what I have read that he has filed the appropriate forms with the Department of Justice and I think you should ask him and them if you have any questions about his specific filing."

7. Wide shot of Spicer