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

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

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

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

Responding to a question at the daily briefing, 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.

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.

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. UPSOUND: Reporter, off camera:

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

2. 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 has 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 advisor?"

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 subsequently them if you have any questions about his filing."

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

Responding to a question at the daily briefing, 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.

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.

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

Washington - 9 March 2017

1. Wide shot of 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 U.S. 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 advisor?"

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 filing."

7. Wide shot of Spicer

Lawyers for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told President Donald Trump's transition team before the inauguration that Flynn might need to register with the government as a foreign agent, but Trump was not aware of the possible move, the White House said Friday.

The disclosure by White House officials confirms the Trump transition team was aware of the situation involving the president's pick for a top national security post either before he joined the government or soon afterward.

But the White House's acknowledgement raised new questions about whether Trump's transition team, and later, his White House lawyers, fully vetted Flynn after being informed about his possible filing as a foreign agent for his lobbying during the presidential campaign that may have benefited the government of Turkey.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer dismissed questions about whether the information should have given the transition team pause, saying Flynn had "impeccable credentials."

Trump fired Flynn last month after less than a month on the job saying he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.

Spicer confirmed that Flynn's personal lawyer contacted Trump transition attorneys before the inauguration about the possible filing. But he added that Flynn's representative only asked for guidance and did not provide more details about the lobbying work or Flynn's business dealings.

Spicer said Flynn's decision whether to file as a foreign agent was a personal matter that his own attorney would need to handle.

Among those told of Flynn's lobbying work was Don McGahn, Trump's campaign lawyer who served in the transition and later became White House counsel, said a person with direct knowledge of the conversations between Flynn's representatives and the transition team.

That person, who was not authorized to describe confidential conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that during discussions after the inauguration White House lawyers were told Flynn was moving ahead with plans to file as a foreign agent.

On Thursday, Spicer had said he did not believe Trump had been told of Flynn's work as a foreign agent. Later that day, Vice President Mike Pence said he was unaware of Flynn's foreign agent work until this week.

Flynn and his firm, Flynn Intel Group Inc., filed paperwork this week with the Justice Department formally identifying him as a foreign agent and acknowledging that his work for a company owned by a Turkish businessman "could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey."

In the filings with the Justice Department's Foreign Agent Registration Unit, Flynn and his company described $530,000 worth of lobbying before Election Day on behalf of Inovo BV, a Dutch-based company owned by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin. The lobbying occurred from August through November while Flynn was a top Trump campaign adviser.

In an interview with the AP, Alptekin said Flynn and his firm filed the registration after pressure from Justice Department officials. Alptekin said he disagreed with the decision to register. He also said he had asked for some of his money back.

Flynn's registration comes as he has drawn scrutiny from the FBI for his contacts with Russian officials. Through a spokesman, Flynn declined to discuss the registration. In the filing, his attorney said the lobbying contract quickly ended after Trump's election in November.

On Thursday, Spicer defended Flynn's work, saying he did it as a "private citizen," but he declined to say whether Trump would have hired Flynn if he had known about the lobbying.

"There's nothing nefarious about doing anything that's legal as long as the proper paperwork is filed," Spicer said.

After Flynn joined the administration, he agreed not to lobby for five years after leaving government service and never to represent foreign governments. It appears that Flynn's work wouldn't violate the pledge because it occurred before he joined the administration in January. The pledge bars Flynn from ever doing the same type of work again in his lifetime.

Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, U.S. citizens who lobby on behalf of foreign governments or political entities must disclose their work to the Justice Department. Willfully failing to register is a felony, though the department rarely files criminal charges in such cases. It routinely works with lobbying firms to get back in compliance with the law by registering and disclosing their work.

According to Flynn's filings, his firm's work involved research, informational materials and a video on the cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, of orchestrating a botched coup last summer. Erdogan has called for Gulen's extradition, a request the Obama administration rebuffed.

Alptekin, the Turkish businessman, has denied having any ties to Erdogan's government. But he is a member of a Turkish economic relations board run by an Erdogan appointee.

Washington, DC - 10 March 2017

+++WHITE FLASHES BETWEEN SOUNDBITES+++

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

"What the AP is reporting, just to be clear, is that a personal lawyer of General Flynn's contacted a transition lawyer and asked for guidance about what he should or should not do. The lawyer was instructed that it wasn't the role of the transition, and it was up to the personal lawyer to work with the appropriate authorities or subject matter experts to determine what was appropriate and what was not appropriate in terms of filing."

+++WHITE FLASH+++

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

(Reporter) "The person who is in line to be the national security adviser may need to register as a foreign agent, and that doesn't raise a red flag? (Spicer) It's not a question of raising a red flag, John, it's a question of whether they gave them the advice that they are supposed to. It is not up to them to make decisions about what you need to do or not do."

+++WHITE FLASH+++

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

(Reporter) "We're talking about the judgment of the president, the vice president and your team made to select this man as national security adviser when you had information that he had these dealings with Turkey. (Spicer) What dealings are you referring to, that he had a client. He was also the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Unbelievably qualified, 40 years in the military with impeccable credentials, so what is it. What is it you are getting at? Because so far, he has impeccable credentials, he had a stellar career in the military, widely respected, and I think for you to start to impugn his int...(Reporter) But Vice President Pence said yesterday....(Spicer) But again, there was no disclosure at the time."

+++WHITE FLASH+++

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

"We trust people to fill out the forms that they are required to in an honest and legal manner. And in this case, he retroactively filed the forms he was supposed to do, but we advised him to do what the legal and proper thing was and that's the right thing for this administration, so we did the right thing then and we expect every employee to follow the law."

+++WHITE FLASH+++

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

"I believe that everybody has done what is legally required of them, but I can't tell you that every single person has done everything. I can tell you the president has made clear to everyone in this administration you are expected to live up to the high standards he has set for them, and that if you don't you will be dismissed."

Lawyers for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told President Donald Trump's transition team before the inauguration that Flynn might need to register with the government as a foreign agent, but Trump was not aware of the possible move, the White House said Friday.

The disclosure by White House officials confirms the Trump transition team was aware of the situation involving the president's pick for a top national security post either before he joined the government or soon afterward.

But the White House's acknowledgement raised new questions about whether Trump's transition team, and later, his White House lawyers, fully vetted Flynn after being informed about his possible filing as a foreign agent for his lobbying during the presidential campaign that may have benefited the government of Turkey.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer dismissed questions about whether the information should have given the transition team pause, saying Flynn had "impeccable credentials."

Trump fired Flynn last month after less than a month on the job saying he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.

Spicer confirmed that Flynn's personal lawyer contacted Trump transition attorneys before the inauguration about the possible filing. But he added that Flynn's representative only asked for guidance and did not provide more details about the lobbying work or Flynn's business dealings.

Spicer said Flynn's decision whether to file as a foreign agent was a personal matter that his own attorney would need to handle.

Among those told of Flynn's lobbying work was Don McGahn, Trump's campaign lawyer who served in the transition and later became White House counsel, said a person with direct knowledge of the conversations between Flynn's representatives and the transition team.

That person, who was not authorized to describe confidential conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that during discussions after the inauguration White House lawyers were told Flynn was moving ahead with plans to file as a foreign agent.

On Thursday, Spicer had said he did not believe Trump had been told of Flynn's work as a foreign agent. Later that day, Vice President Mike Pence said he was unaware of Flynn's foreign agent work until this week.

Flynn and his firm, Flynn Intel Group Inc., filed paperwork this week with the Justice Department formally identifying him as a foreign agent and acknowledging that his work for a company owned by a Turkish businessman "could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey."

In the filings with the Justice Department's Foreign Agent Registration Unit, Flynn and his company described $530,000 worth of lobbying before Election Day on behalf of Inovo BV, a Dutch-based company owned by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin. The lobbying occurred from August through November while Flynn was a top Trump campaign adviser.

In an interview with the AP, Alptekin said Flynn and his firm filed the registration after pressure from Justice Department officials. Alptekin said he disagreed with the decision to register. He also said he had asked for some of his money back.

Flynn's registration comes as he has drawn scrutiny from the FBI for his contacts with Russian officials. Through a spokesman, Flynn declined to discuss the registration. In the filing, his attorney said the lobbying contract quickly ended after Trump's election in November.

On Thursday, Spicer defended Flynn's work, saying he did it as a "private citizen," but he declined to say whether Trump would have hired Flynn if he had known about the lobbying.

"There's nothing nefarious about doing anything that's legal as long as the proper paperwork is filed," Spicer said.

After Flynn joined the administration, he agreed not to lobby for five years after leaving government service and never to represent foreign governments. It appears that Flynn's work wouldn't violate the pledge because it occurred before he joined the administration in January. The pledge bars Flynn from ever doing the same type of work again in his lifetime.

Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, U.S. citizens who lobby on behalf of foreign governments or political entities must disclose their work to the Justice Department. Willfully failing to register is a felony, though the department rarely files criminal charges in such cases. It routinely works with lobbying firms to get back in compliance with the law by registering and disclosing their work.

According to Flynn's filings, his firm's work involved research, informational materials and a video on the cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, of orchestrating a botched coup last summer. Erdogan has called for Gulen's extradition, a request the Obama administration rebuffed.

Alptekin, the Turkish businessman, has denied having any ties to Erdogan's government. But he is a member of a Turkish economic relations board run by an Erdogan appointee.

Washington, DC - 10 March 2017

1. Wide of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer

2. Mid of reporters

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

"What the AP is reporting, just to be clear, is that a personal lawyer of General Flynn's contacted a transition lawyer and asked for guidance about what he should or should not do. The lawyer was instructed that it wasn't the role of the transition, and it was up to the personal lawyer to work with the appropriate authorities or subject matter experts to determine what was appropriate and what was not appropriate in terms of filing."

4. Cutaway of reporters

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

"Each person that goes through the process in government seeks counsel in many cases about the assets they own and the activities they conducted as to what they have to do or not do. This is something like asking if they needed to file if they had a client whether or not they had a lobbying disclosure form. That's not up to us to determine, that's up for them and their counsel to deterimine if they engaged in activities in the past, or whatever it is or if a doctor needed to go and up their certification, that is not up for government to determine.

6. Cutaway of reporters

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

(Reporter) "The person who is in line to be the national security adviser may need to register as a foreign agent, and that doesn't raise a red flag? (Spicer) It's not a matter of raising a red flag, John, it's a question of whether they gave them the advice that they are supposed to. It is not up to them to make decisions about what you need to do or not do."

8. Wide of Spicer at podium

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

(Reporter) "We're talking about the judgment of the president, the vice president and your team made to select this man as national security adviser when you had information that he had these dealings with Turkey. (Spicer) What dealings are you referring to, that he had a client. He was also the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Unbelievably qualified, 40 years in the military with impeccable credentials, so what is it. What is it you are getting at? Because so far, he has impeccable credentials, he had a stellar career in the military, widely respected, and I think for you to start to impugn his int...(Reporter) But Vice President Pence said yesterday....(Spicer) But again, there was no disclosure at the time."

9. Cutaway of reporters.

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

"We trust people to fill out the forms that they are required to in an honest and legal manner. And in this case, he retroactively filed the forms he was supposed to do, but we advised him to do what the legal and proper thing was and that's the right thing for this administration, so we did the right thing then and we expect every employee to follow the law. This president when it comes to ethics and when it comes to lobbying, he instituted a five-year ban, he has ran on a commitment to drain the swamp. He has been very committed to making sure we instituted high standards here and they were held to them. And so at the end of the day, when he found out Gen. Flynn had betrayed the trust of the vice president back in the day, he let him go."

11. Wide of Spicer at podium

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

"I believe that everybody has done what is legally required of them, but I can't tell you that every single person has done everything. I can tell you the president has made clear to everyone in this administration you are expected to live up to the high standards he has set for them, and that if you don't you will be dismissed."

13. Cutaway of reporters.

Lawyers for retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn told President Donald Trump's transition team before the inauguration that Flynn might need to register with the government as a foreign agent, but Trump was not aware of the possible move, the White House said on Friday.

The disclosure by White House officials confirms the Trump transition team was aware of the situation involving the president's pick for a top national security post either before he joined the government or soon afterward.

But the White House's acknowledgement raised new questions about whether Trump's transition team, and later, his White House lawyers, fully vetted Flynn after being informed about his possible filing as a foreign agent for his lobbying during the presidential campaign that may have benefited the government of Turkey.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer dismissed questions about whether the information should have given the transition team, saying Flynn had "impeccable credentials".

Trump fired Flynn last month after less than a month on the job saying he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the US.

Spicer confirmed that Flynn's personal lawyer contacted Trump transition attorneys before the inauguration about the possible filing. But he added that Flynn's representative only asked for guidance and did not provide more details about the lobbying work or Flynn's business dealings.

Spicer said Flynn's decision whether to file as a foreign agent was a personal matter that his own attorney would need to handle.

Flynn and his firm, Flynn Intel Group Inc., filed paperwork this week with the Justice Department formally identifying him as a foreign agent and acknowledging that his work for a company owned by a Turkish businessman "could be construed to have principally benefited the Republic of Turkey."

In the filings with the Justice Department's Foreign Agent Registration Unit, Flynn and his company described 530,000-US-dollar worth of lobbying before Election Day on behalf of Inovo BV, a Dutch-based company owned by Turkish businessman Ekim Alptekin. The lobbying occurred from August through November while Flynn was a top Trump campaign adviser.

According to Flynn's filings, his firm's work involved research, informational materials and a video on the cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, of orchestrating a botched coup last summer. Erdogan has called for Gulen's extradition, a request the Obama administration rebuffed.

Alptekin, the Turkish businessman, has denied having any ties to Erdogan's government. But he is a member of a Turkish economic relations board run by an Erdogan appointee.

Washington, DC - 10 March 2017

1. Wide of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer

2. Mid of reporters

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

"What the AP is reporting, just to be clear, is that a personal lawyer of General Flynn's contacted a transition lawyer and asked for guidance about what he should or should not do. The lawyer was instructed that it wasn't the role of the transition, and it was up to the personal lawyer to work with the appropriate authorities or subject matter experts to determine what was appropriate and what was not appropriate in terms of filing."

4. Cutaway of reporters

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

"Each person that goes through the process in government seeks counsel in many cases about the assets they own and the activities they conducted as to what they have to do or not do. This is something like asking if they needed to file if they had a client whether or not they had a lobbying disclosure form. That's not up to us to determine, that's up for them and their counsel to determine if they engaged in activities in the past, or whatever it is or if a doctor needed to go and up their certification, that is not up for government to determine."

6. Cutaway of reporters

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

(Reporter (English): "The person who is in line to be the national security adviser may need to register as a foreign agent, and that doesn't raise a red flag?")

Spicer: "It's not a matter of raising a red flag, John, it's a question of whether they gave them the advice that they are supposed to which is - it is not up to them to make decisions as to what you need to do or not to."

8. Wide of Spicer at podium

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

(Reporter: "We're talking about the judgment of the president, the vice president and your team made to select this man as national security adviser when you had information that he had these dealings with Turkey. Why did you guys..")

Spicer: "But it is a question of what dealings are you referring to - the fact that he had a client? He was also the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Unbelievably qualified, 40 years in the military with impeccable credentials, so what is it. What is it you are getting at? Because so far, he has impeccable credentials, he had a stellar career in the military, widely respected, and I think for you to start to impugn his int...

(Reporter: "But Vice President Pence said yesterday...")

Spicer: "But again, there was no disclosure at the time."

10. Cutaway of reporters.

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

"We trust people to fill out the forms that they are required to do so in an honest and legal manner. And in this case, he retroactively filed the forms he was supposed to do, but we advised him to do what the legal and proper thing was and that's the right thing for this administration, so we did the right thing then and we expect every employee to follow the law. This president when it comes to ethics, when it comes to lobbying, he instituted a five-year ban, he has ran on a commitment to drain the swamp. He has been very committed to making sure that we instituted high standards here and they were held to them. And so at the end of the day, when he found out General Flynn had betrayed the trust of the vice president back in the day, he let him go."

12. Wide of Spicer at podium

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

"I believe that everybody has done what is legally required of them, but I can't tell you that every single person has done everything. I can tell you the president has made clear to every person in this administration you are expected to live up to the high standards he has set for them, and that if you don't you will be dismissed."

14. Cutaway of reporters

Trump administration defends mission in Yemen that left one US Navy SEAL dead.

"The mission was successful in helping prevent a future attack," said White House secretary Sean Spicer during daily press briefing.

This comes after the father of Ryan Owens demanded an investigation into its planning and criticized the Trump administration for its timing.

Spicer also spoke about President's Trump speech to Congress Tuesday, where immigration will be discussed.

"I would not anticipate the speech being a defense of legislation and executive orders," said Spicer.

"The next order I think we should have it out probably middle of this week."

As for the ongoing attacks of Jewish cemeteries Spicer said the administration would " have to work with law enforcement at the local and state level."

"I think, one of the things that we can do is speak from this podium in particular and other places to make sure that every American understands what our values are and that that kind of behavior and activity is wrong and won't be tolerated."

Washington DC - 27 February 2017

1. Cutaway of White House Press Secretary talking with reporters

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

"First of all I can't possibly imagine what he's (Owen's father) going through in terms of a loss of a son. I can tell him on behalf of the president his son died a hero and the information that he was able to help obtain through that raid, as I said before was going to save American lives. It's going to protect our country more, so he made a sacrifice to this country, he was on his 12th deployment and I know his wife, when she spoke to the president knows that he did this because he loved it, he cared for this nation and the mission was successful in helping prevent a future attack or attacks on this nation."

3. Cutaway

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

"I would express our thoughts and our prayers and our condolences to all of the people in Chief Owen's family and his friends and his shipmates, but it's something that as a SEAL and someone who had been deployed 12 times, he knew that this was part of the job, he knew what he was doing and so we are very comfortable with how the mission was executed and we will let the Department of Defense go through that review process and see where that leaves us, but to get ahead of the three separate reviews the Department of Defense is doing, would probably be a little irresponsible at this time."

5. Cutaway

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

"I would not anticipate the speech being a defense of legislation and executive orders. I don't think many previous presidents have gotten through and used that as a legislative walk-through. But you will hear about his commitment to immigration and his desire for border security and what it means not just about keeping the nation safe, but what impact it's having on the economy.

So you will hear a lot about immigration tomorrow night. And he will talk about why it matters and the goal we have and why we should come together on areas like this."

7. Cutaway

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

"Oh, the next order I think we should have it out probably middle of this week, looking towards the middle of the week. And we'll have further updates as we get through the schedule. I think obviously our priority right now today was to really get the budget process kicked off, and then continue to prepare for the joint session."

9. Cutaway

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

"With respect to some of the activity that we've seen at Jewish cemeteries in particular, look, I think we have to work with law enforcement at the local and state level. I'll leave to it the Department of Justice to comment further on what additional steps can be made. But I think, as been pointed out multiple times, I think, one of the things that we can do is speak from this podium in particular and other places to make sure that every American understands what our values are and that that kind of behavior and activity is wrong and won't be tolerated. And the highest levels of government denounce it."

11. Spicer leaves press room