Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said the media helped force Michael Flynn out of his post as President Trump’s national security adviser. 
 
 “We have a political assassination that’s taken place here,�? he said on his radio show Tuesday while discussing Flynn’s resignation the day before. "The media’s going to try as hard they can not to let go of this, because now they’ve got their scalp." 
 
 “They think they have blood in the water, they’ve got a scalp and they think they can get another and then another and then another and then another until finally they get Trump.�? 
 
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 Limbaugh said extensive news coverage of Flynn’s past phone conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak is the latest evidence the media will constantly impede the Trump administration. 
 
 “They have become the full-fledged resistance to Trump and they have decided that that’s going to be their modus operandi for the next four years,�? he said. "They’re not gonna do the news. They have now mobilized and made it official, they’re even talking about it, some of them are, on [the] cable networks." 
 
 “I mean, they disguise the words they use, but the impact is clear that they are going to do everything they can to get Trump out of Washington and out of the White House and out of office.�? 
 
 Flynn resigned late Monday amid reports he misled senior White House officials about his discussions with Kislyak before Trump entered office. 
 
 The retired Army lieutenant general blamed the “fast pace of events�? for why he “inadvertently�? gave “incomplete information�? to Vice President Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceQueen Elizabeth offers condolences to Hurricane Harvey victims Trump proclaims Sunday 'National Day of Prayer' for Harvey victims Pence goes hands-on clearing debris in Texas MORE and others about the talks. He said just before resigning that he spoke with the ambassador specifically about the 35 Russian officials that were expelled from the U.S. as part of the Obama administration's sanctions but that "no lines were crossed." 
 
 Reports emerged last week that Flynn and Kislyak discussed sanctions against Russia during a series of phone calls in December. 
 
 Pence had previously denied Flynn and Kislyak ever spoke about sanctions. 
 
 White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday Trump asked for Flynn’s resignation once the president’s faith in his adviser “eroded�? following the reports. ||||| Speaking to reporters, Feb. 14, White House press secretary discussed the events leading up to the resignation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn from the Trump administration. Here are some key moments from that briefing. (Reuters) 
 
 Vice President Pence first learned that former national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled him about the nature of his contact with a Russian official on Feb. 9, a full two weeks after other White House officials were briefed on the matter, an aide to Pence said on Tuesday. 
 
 The timing indicates that Pence would have become aware of the controversy around the same time that a Washington Post report was published, detailing the degree to which Flynn had been in contact with the Russian ambassador to the United States on the issue of sanctions, Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said. 
 
 “What I would tell you is that the vice president became aware of incomplete information that he had received on Feb. 9, last Thursday night, based on media accounts,” Lotter said. “He did an inquiry based on those media accounts.” 
 
 In a January television interview, Pence said that Flynn had told him the issue of sanctions did not come up in his conversations with the Russian ambassador. 
 
 The revelation adds a new layer to the confusion within the White House as it seeks to explain why it took more than two weeks for Flynn to resign his post, even though senior officials, including the president, were aware that he had not told Pence the truth. 
 
 President Trump had been aware for “weeks” that Flynn had misled Pence and other officials, but did not act until Monday night, forcing the national security adviser to resign, the White House said on Tuesday. 
 
 White House counsel Don McGahn told Trump in a briefing late last month that Flynn, despite his claims to the contrary, had discussed U.S. sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said. Trump was briefed “immediately” after the Justice Department informed McGahn about the discrepancy, Spicer told reporters Tuesday. 
 
 Sally Q. Yates, the acting attorney general at the time, and a senior career national security official at the Justice Department had informed McGahn at his office about their concerns on Jan. 26, according to a person familiar with the briefing. Spicer said the president and a small group of senior aides were briefed by McGahn about Flynn that same day. 
 
 “We've been reviewing and evaluating this issue with respect to General Flynn on a daily basis for a few weeks, trying to ascertain the truth,” Spicer said. 
 
 [Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say] 
 
 The comments contrast with the impression Trump gave Friday aboard Air Force One that he was not familiar with a Washington Post report that revealed that Flynn had not told the truth about the calls. 
 
 “I don't know about that. I haven't seen it. What report is that? I haven't seen that. I'll look into that,” Trump told reporters on the plane. 
 
 Spicer said Tuesday that Trump was responding only to a question about The Post report and was not speaking about the overall issue of Flynn's contact with the Russian ambassador. 
 
 The White House Counsel's Office conducted a “review” of the legal issues and determined that “there was not a legal issue but rather a trust issue,” Spicer said. “The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others. The president must have complete and unwavering trust of the person in that position.” 
 
 At the start of the daily White House briefing, Feb. 14, press secretary Sean Spicer spoke about the resignation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. (Reuters) 
 
 [Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser] 
 
 Spicer said that “the evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of a series of other issues is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation.” He added that the president had an “instinctive” belief that Flynn had not broken any laws, which was later “confirmed” by an inquiry led by the White House Counsel's Office. 
 
 But the scrutiny of Flynn's contacts with Russian officials promises to continue despite his resignation. 
 
 In the first days of the new Trump administration, FBI agents interviewed Flynn about his communications with Kislyak, according to current and former officials. 
 
 The interview, which was first reported by the New York Times, could expose Flynn to possible charges if he denied to the agents, as he had earlier to Pence and other incoming Trump officials, that he had discussed with Kislyak sanctions imposed by the Obama administration for what it said was Russia’s interference in the November elections. 
 
 Lying to the FBI is a felony offense, and the agents were presumably in possession of a transcript of Flynn’s conversation with Kislyak when they questioned him. 
 
 In an interview with the Daily Caller, which he granted before his resignation, Flynn said he did not discuss anything inappropriate with the Russian ambassador. “If I did, believe me, the FBI would be down my throat, my clearances would be pulled,” he said. “There were no lines crossed.” 
 
 Flynn told the Daily Caller: “It wasn’t about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out.” He was referring to the expulsion by the Obama administration of 35 Russians it said were intelligence operatives using diplomatic cover. 
 
 “It was basically, ‘Look, I know this happened. We’ll review everything.’ I never said anything such as, ‘We’re going to review sanctions,’ or anything like that,” Flynn said. 
 
 For Obama officials at the time, even the promise to review the expulsions would have raised a red flag. 
 
 The White House has offered conflicting accounts over the past day about whether Flynn's decision to resign was his own or done at the request of the president, adding to the confusion over how the administration viewed Flynn's actions. Senior officials told reporters Monday night that Flynn offered his resignation voluntarily. And White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on the “Today” show Tuesday morning that Flynn “had resigned” and was not forced to quit. 
 
 “The president is very loyal. He’s a very loyal person,” Conway said. “And by nighttime, Mike Flynn had decided it was best to resign. He knew he became a lightning rod, and he made that decision.” 
 
 Spicer, however, said repeatedly at Tuesday's briefing that Trump asked Flynn to leave. 
 
 Spicer also said that Trump was not concerned with the nature of the conversations that Flynn had with the Russian ambassador but that the lack of trust created an “unsustainable” situation. “The president has no problem with the fact that he acted in accord with what his job was supposed to be,” Spicer said. 
 
 National security officials monitored the calls of the Russian ambassador as part of routine surveillance of foreign officials in the United States. Spicer declined to say whether the president would declassify and release transcripts of Flynn's call with Kislyak. 
 
 “It is inappropriate for me to comment on those at this time,” Spicer said. “It is not an issue that has come up.” 
 
 Ashley Parker contributed to this report. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Is losing a top job in 24 days a record? 
 
 Leading members of the US Republican Party have joined calls for a wide investigation into the former national security adviser's links with Russia. 
 
 Michael Flynn quit on Monday over claims he discussed US sanctions with Russia before Donald Trump took office. 
 
 On Tuesday, a White House spokesman said Mr Trump knew weeks ago there were problems with the Russia phone calls. 
 
 But calls for an independent investigation have encountered a cold response from some senior Republicans. 
 
 The development came as the New York Times reported that phone records and intercepted calls show members of Mr Trump's presidential campaign, as well as other Trump associates, "had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election". 
 
 However, officials spoken to by the newspaper said they had not yet seen evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia on the hacking of the Democratic National Committee or to influence the election. 
 
 As well as an FBI investigation, both the Senate and House intelligence committees are already examining Russian involvement in the election. It is not yet clear whether the latest claims will be included in their scope. 
 
 Why Mr Flynn resigned 
 
 He stood down over allegations he discussed US sanctions with a Russian envoy in December, before Mr Trump took office. 
 
 The conversations took place about the time that then-President Barack Obama was imposing retaliatory measures on Russia following reports it attempted to sway the US election in Mr Trump's favour. 
 
 Mr Flynn could have broken a law - known as the Logan Act - by conducting US diplomacy as a private citizen, before he was appointed as national security adviser. 
 
 More on the Flynn scandal 
 
 The retired army lieutenant-general initially denied having discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Vice-President Mike Pence publicly denied the allegations on his behalf. 
 
 The White House admitted it had been warned about the contacts on 26 January but President Trump initially concluded Mr Flynn had not broken any law. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption White House press secretary Sean Spicer: "What this came down to, was a matter of trust" 
 
 White House lawyers then conducted a review and questioned Mr Flynn before reaching the same conclusion as Mr Trump, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, but the trust had gone. 
 
 "In the end, it was misleading the vice-president that made the situation unsustainable," White House Counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Tuesday. 
 
 Mr Flynn was also reportedly questioned by FBI agents in his first days as national security adviser, according to US media. 
 
 What Mr Flynn says 
 
 In an interview conducted with the conservative website The Daily Caller on Monday, but published only on Tuesday, Mr Flynn said he "crossed no lines" in his conversation with the ambassador. 
 
 He said he discussed the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over alleged hacking ahead of the election, but "it wasn't about sanctions". 
 
 He said he was concerned that the apparently classified information had been leaked. "In some of these cases, you're talking about stuff that's taken off of a classified system and given to a reporter," he said. "That's a crime." 
 
 However, in his resignation letter, Mr Flynn said "the fast pace of events" during the presidential transition meant that he had "inadvertently briefed the vice-president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador". 
 
 How are Republicans reacting? 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Kellyanne Conway said Gen Flynn either "misled" or "could not completely recall" his conversation 
 
 In his first public comments about the controversy, President Trump tweeted on Tuesday: "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N Korea etc?" 
 
 US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told reporters on Tuesday he wanted to examine the leaks, and said the FBI should explain why Mr Flynn's conversation had been recorded. 
 
 But the Senate's second-ranking Republican,John Cornyn, and other Republican senators have called for an investigation into Mr Trump's connections with Russian officials. 
 
 Republican John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Mr Flynn's resignation was a "troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus", which raised questions about Mr Trump's intentions towards Russia. 
 
 Meanwhile, the Senate's most senior Republican, Mitch McConnell, said the intelligence committee was already looking into Russian influence on the election, indicating there was no need for a new investigative panel. 
 
 And Russia? 
 
 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would not be commenting on the resignation. 
 
 "This is the internal affair of the Americans, the internal affair of the Trump administration," he added. "It's nothing to do with us." 
 
 Image copyright AP Image caption Mr Flynn was pictured dining with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in December 2015 
 
 What will America's allies think? - by BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus 
 
 Gen Flynn's resignation comes just as senior US officials are mounting a major effort to reassure uncertain allies in Europe about the Trump administration's intentions. 
 
 The new US Defence Secretary General James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Vice-President Mike Pence are all in Europe over the coming days. Gen Mattis is in the vanguard - he meets his Nato counterparts in Brussels on Wednesday. 
 
 There will be few tears shed within the alliance over Gen Flynn. His was widely seen as a bizarre and destabilising appointment. 
 
 But his demise and the rumbling row over team Trump's contacts with Russia continues to cause unease at Nato where many governments wonder at the Trump administration's resolve in standing up to what they see as a new assertiveness from Moscow. 
 
 Many key US officials are still to be appointed and the continuing chaos at the heart of the Trump administration is a cause for concern among Nato countries whatever reassurance the heavyweight US diplomatic trio may bring. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The US public has "serious questions" about US-Russia ties, says congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi 
 
 What happens next? 
 
 Democrat Adam Schiff, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has said Mr Flynn's departure will not end questions about contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia. But there are various ways that these questions could be answered. 
 
 Two Democratic members of the House of Representatives have demanded a classified briefing to Congress on Michael Flynn by the justice department and FBI. 
 
 Several House Democrats had already called on Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz to launch an investigation into Mr Flynn's ties to Russia. 
 
 More on Trump's first 100 days: ||||| Former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and, in an ominous sign for the White House, said he is cooperating in the ongoing probe of possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin to influence the 2016 election. 
 
 When Flynn was forced out of the White House in February, officials said he had misled the administration, including Vice President Pence, about his contacts with Kislyak. But court records and people familiar with the contacts indicated he was acting in consultation with senior Trump transition officials, including President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in his dealings with the diplomat. 
 
 Flynn's plea revealed that he was in touch with senior Trump transition officials before and after his communications with the ambassador. 
 
 The pre-inauguration communications with Kislyak involved efforts to blunt Obama administration policy decisions — on sanctions on Russia and a U.N. resolution on Israel — potential violations of a rarely enforced law. 
 
 [Read the charge against Flynn] 
 
 Flynn said in a statement: "It has been extraordinarily painful to endure these many months of false accusations of 'treason' and other outrageous acts. Such false accusations are contrary to everything I have ever done and stood for. But I recognize that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong, and, through my faith in God, I am working to set things right. 
 
 "My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel's Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions." 
 
 
 
 Michael Flynn exits the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington on Friday. (Essdras M Suarez for the Washington Post/Essdras M Suarez�) 
 
 Flynn admitted in his plea that he lied to the FBI about several December conversations with Kislyak. In one, on Dec. 22, he contacted the Russian ambassador about the incoming administration's opposition to a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settlements as illegal and requested that Russia vote against or delay it, court records say. The ambassador later called back and indicated Russia would not vote against it, the records say. 
 
 In another conversation, on Dec. 29, Flynn called the ambassador to ask Russia not to escalate an ongoing feud over sanctions imposed by the Obama administration, court records say. The ambassador later called back and said Russia had chosen not to retaliate, the records say. 
 
 Flynn admitted as a part of his plea that when the FBI asked him on Jan. 24 — four days after Trump was inaugurated — about his dealings with the Russians, he did not truthfully describe the interactions. But perhaps more interestingly, he said others in the transition knew he was in contact with Kislyak. 
 
 Flynn admitted that before speaking with the ambassador, he called a senior transition official at the Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 29 "to discuss what, if anything, to communicate to the Russian ambassador about the U.S. Sanctions" and learned that transition members did not want Russia to escalate the situation. And when the ambassador later informed him Russia would not retaliate, Flynn told senior members of the transition team, court records say. The senior transition official is not identified in records, but people familiar with the matter said it is K.T. McFarland, who is now nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to Singapore. 
 
 [Timeline: What Flynn copped to — and what he didn’t] 
 
 The records say that a "very senior member of the Presidential Transition Team" directed Flynn to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, about the U.N. resolution on Israel. That official is also not named, but people familiar with the matter said it refers to Kushner. According to one transition team official, Kushner told Flynn that blocking the resolution was a top priority of the president-elect. 
 
 Abbe Lowell, Kushner's attorney, declined to comment. 
 
 [Mueller just penetrated the White House gates with Flynn’s guilty plea] 
 
 It is unclear what else Flynn might have told Mueller's team about his work for the administration and interactions with Russians or whether that might have significant consequences for the investigation. Flynn is the highest-profile Trump ally — and the first aide who worked in the White House — to face charges in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation. Trump developed a close rapport with Flynn on the campaign trail, where the general delivered fiery denunciations of Hillary Clinton, including leading a "Lock her up!" chant at the Republican National Convention. 
 
 Outside the courthouse Friday, a small group of protesters shouted "Lock him up!" at Flynn as he left the building. 
 
 The Washington Post reported in February that Flynn had privately discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country's ambassador before Trump took office, contrary to public assertions by Trump officials. The Post also reported that acting attorney general Sally Yates warned the White House that the national security adviser might be susceptible to Russian blackmail because he had misled senior officials. 
 
 Flynn was forced to resign, but after that, Trump said that his ouster might have been a mistake. Trump's request of then-FBI Director James B. Comey to be lenient with Flynn has also come under scrutiny by the special counsel, and Flynn's cooperation could prove important to Mueller's ongoing probe of whether the president attempted to obstruct justice. 
 
 Trump has said previously that he did not direct Flynn to discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador but that he "would have directed him because that's his job." There is a law — the Logan Act — that bars U.S. citizens from interfering in diplomatic disputes with another country. But the statute has not been used in a prosecution in modern history, and it would not be uncommon for incoming administrations to interface with foreign governments with whom they will soon have to work. 
 
 In a statement on Flynn's guilty plea, White House lawyer Ty Cobb said: "The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year. Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn. The conclusion of this phase of the Special Counsel's work demonstrates again that the Special Counsel is moving with all deliberate speed and clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion." 
 
 In recent weeks, Trump's attorneys have expected Flynn to plead guilty, particularly after one of Flynn's attorneys, Robert Kelner, said he could no longer communicate about the probe with Trump's lawyers. 
 
 Flynn's negotiations to cooperate with Mueller's team began in earnest early last month, according to two people briefed on the discussions. At some point, Mueller's investigators warned Flynn's attorneys that they planned to indict Flynn and also could charge his son, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Flynn's attorneys, Kelner and Stephen Anthony, provided a proffer of what information Flynn could provide, and then Flynn met with Mueller's team. 
 
 The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, White House lawyer John Dowd contacted Flynn's team in a sporadic "check-in" call he made to other defense counsel personnel in the Russia probe every few weeks, people familiar with the matter said. Kelner told Dowd on the call that he could no longer communicate with the White House lawyers. That signaled that Flynn had begun to cooperate or was already actively seeking to cooperate with the special counsel's office, because in either case his lawyers would have a duty to shut off communications with other defense teams. 
 
 [Flynn’s lawyer shuts down communications with Trump’s team, a sign he may be cooperating with Mueller probe] 
 
 As part of Flynn's negotiations, his son, Michael G. Flynn, is not expected to be charged, according to a person with knowledge of the talks. 
 
 The elder Flynn's case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Rudolph "Rudy" Contreras, 55, a 2012 Obama appointee and veteran federal lawyer who joined the civil division of the U.S. attorney's office in the District in 1994, rising to head the civil division of the Delaware federal prosecutor's office before returning to take the same position in the District in 2006. Contreras also serves on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. 
 
 The plea caps a stunning fall for the general. A native of Rhode Island who grew up in a large family of modest means, Flynn joined the Army officer school and chose early in his career to specialize in intelligence. Among his mentors was Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who praised Flynn's ability in Afghanistan to bond with his soldiers and get results. In 2012, Flynn was named director of the Defense Intelligence Agency but rankled some subordinates there who questioned his temperament and decision-making. President Barack Obama removed Flynn from the DIA post in October 2014. 
 
 Though Flynn gave Trump much-needed national security credentials, he had a mixed reputation among other Trump aides, who thought he gave the president questionable information and worried about some of his business dealings. 
 
 Flynn has been a major investigative target of the FBI's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. A key question for investigators is whether any Trump associates coordinated with Russian officials to try to sway the presidential race. 
 
 Flynn's contacts with Kislyak, who stepped down from his ambassador post in July, are a key issue in the probe, and the plea deal could open new doors for investigators trying to determine what, if anything, Trump knew about such contacts. 
 
 Flynn has also come under scrutiny for having a secret financial stake in major foreign policy decisions while advising Trump during the campaign, the transition and the brief period he served in the administration. 
 
 In his agreement, Flynn acknowledged lying in his foreign-agent disclosure forms when he claimed that he did not know the extent of the Turkish government's involvement in a contract his firm had obtained and when he claimed that an op-ed he wrote encouraging the U.S. government to expel a rebel cleric and enemy of the Turkish president was at his own initiative. 
 
 The maximum penalty for making a false statement is five years in prison, though both sides said Flynn would face a recommended sentence of up to six months in prison under federal guidelines. 
 
 The Defense Department inspector general's office, which announced in April that it was investigating Flynn for his failure to report overseas trips to Russia after his Army retirement, has put that case on hold in deference to Mueller's probe. 
 
 Josh Dawsey, Spencer S. Hsu and Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report. 
 
 Read more: 
 
 Trump put his presidency at risk to defend Michael Flynn. What happened? 
 
 Did Michael Flynn just admit to violating the Logan Act? ||||| With Breanne Deppisch 
 
 THE BIG IDEA: President Trump should thank his lucky stars that Republicans control both chambers of Congress, because Democrats would be announcing a Benghazi-style inquest today if they could. 
 
 Michael Flynn lost his job as national security adviser after just 24 days — less because he offered potentially illegal secret assurances to Russia’s ambassador, an adversary of the United States, than because he gave a false accounting of those conversations to his colleagues in the White House, particularly Vice President Pence. 
 
 This imbroglio will make it politically untenable for Trump to scale back sanctions on Moscow now. The blowback from hawkish Republicans in the Senate would be too intense, hobbling the rest of the president’s agenda. The episode will probably give added momentum to Sen. John McCain’s effort to codify existing sanctions into law so that the administration cannot unilaterally unwind them. 
 
 But there is much we still do not know. Here are 10 questions that have become critical in the wake of last night’s news: 
 
 Trump, Mike Pence, and Reince Priebus walk on the south lawn of the White House. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) 
 
 1. What, if anything, did Trump authorize Flynn to tell the Russians before his inauguration? 
 
 2. Why was Trump planning to stand by Flynn? “One senior White House official said that Trump did not fire Flynn; rather, Flynn made the decision to resign on his own late Monday evening because of what this official said was ‘the cumulative effect’ of damaging news coverage about his conversations with the Russian envoy,” Greg Miller and Philip Rucker report. “This official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about the situation, said Trump does not relish firing people — despite his television persona on ‘The Apprentice’ — and had intended to wait several more days before deciding whether to seek Flynn’s resignation. ‘There obviously were a lot of issues, but the president was hanging in there,’ this official said.” 
 
 Don McGahn leaves the Four Seasons Hotel. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) 
 
 3. What did White House counsel Donald McGahn do after the then-acting attorney general notified him last month that Flynn was potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail? “In the waning days of the Obama administration, James R. Clapper Jr., who was the director of national intelligence, and John Brennan, the CIA director at the time, shared [Sally] Yates’s concerns and concurred with her recommendation to inform the Trump White House,” Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Philip Rucker report. “They feared that ‘Flynn had put himself in a compromising position’ and thought that Pence had a right to know that he had been misled. … Yates, then the deputy attorney general, considered Flynn’s comments in the intercepted call to be ‘highly significant’ and ‘potentially illegal,’ according to an official familiar with her thinking. … A senior Trump administration official said before Flynn’s resignation that the White House was aware of the matter, adding that ‘we’ve been working on this for weeks.’” 
 
 Yates was accompanied by a senior career national security official when she alerted McGahn. What we don’t know is who McGahn subsequently shared that information with and what he did after the meeting. He didn’t respond to a request for comment last night from my colleagues. 
 
 “It’s unimaginable that the White House general counsel would sit on it [and] not tell anybody else in the White House,” said David Gergen, who worked in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton administrations. “In every White House I’ve ever been in, this would go to the president like that,” he added during an interview on CNN, snapping his fingers. 
 
 If McGahn did indeed tell others, especially the president, how come Flynn kept his job until last night? 
 
 Trump shakes hands with James Comey at the White House last month. (Andrew Harrer/EPA) 
 
 4. What is the status of the FBI investigation into possible contacts between Trump associates and Russia? FBI Director James B. Comey initially opposed Yates notifying McGahn, citing concerns that it could complicate the bureau’s ongoing investigation. “A turning point came after Jan. 23, when [Sean] Spicer, in his first official media briefing, again was asked about Flynn’s communications with [Ambassador Sergey] Kislyak,” Adam, Ellen and Phil report. “Spicer said that he had talked to Flynn about the issue ‘again last night.’ There was just ‘one call,’ Spicer said. And it covered four subjects: a plane crash that claimed the lives of a Russian military choir; Christmas greetings; Russian-led talks over the Syrian civil war; and the logistics of setting up a call between Putin and Trump. Spicer said that was the extent of the conversation. Yates again raised the issue with Comey, who now backed away from his opposition to informing the White House.” Yates then spoke to McGahn. 
 
 Sean Spicer continues to be on the defensive in the briefing room. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) 
 
 5. Will Spicer and Pence apologize for making false statements to the American people? There is no doubt that both men would have called on their counterparts in the Obama administration to do so if the shoe was on the other foot, even if the falsehoods were unintentional. Their future credibility depends on coming clean and being contrite. 
 
 In his resignation letter, Flynn noted that he apologized to Pence and others: “Because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology.” Will those he apologized to pay it forward to the rest of us? (Read Flynn’s one-page letter here.) 
 
 Sally Yates in her office at the Justice Department before she got fired. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post) 
 
 6. Will Flynn face prosecution under the Logan Act? Yates and other intelligence officials suspected that Flynn could be in violation of the obscure 1799 statute, which bars U.S. citizens from interfering in diplomatic disputes with another country. But no one has ever been prosecuted under that law, so it is very, very unlikely. 
 
 Another mitigating factor: Jeff Sessions got confirmed as attorney general despite refusing to commit to recuse himself from DOJ inquiries into Trump and other administration officials. 
 
 Marco Rubio at the Capitol. (Zach Gibson/AP) 
 
 7. What will the Senate Intelligence Committee uncover about contacts Flynn and others affiliated with Trump had with Russia before the election? U.S. intelligence reports during the 2016 campaign showed that Kislyak was in touch with Flynn, several sources have said. Communications between the two continued after Nov. 8. The Russian ambassador has even confirmed having contacts with Flynn before and after the election, though he declined to say what was discussed. 
 
 The committee led by Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is continuing to explore Russian efforts to interfere with the election, including the intelligence community’s assessment that the Kremlin was attempting to tilt the election to Trump. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the committee, told reporters a few hours before Flynn resigned that his contacts with the Russian ambassador are part of the bipartisan inquiry. “This and anything else that involves the Russians,” Rubio said, per Kelsey Snell. “We’re going to go wherever the truth leads us.” 
 
 Trump and Keith Kellogg, right, listen as Jeff Sessions speaks during a campaign event at Trump Tower last October. (Evan Vucci/AP) 
 
 8. Who replaces Flynn? Trump has named Keith Kellogg, a decorated retired Army lieutenant general, as acting national security adviser. Sources say that he is one of three candidates Trump is considering as a permanent replacement. The others are former CIA director David H. Petraeus and Vice Adm. Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command. 
 
 Two White House sources tell Bob Costa that Harward emerged overnight as the front-runner to get the post. (Pence is leading the discussions.) He is seen as a safe and steady, low-profile consensus pick, which is appealing after the tumult that swirled around Flynn. Harward worked on the NSC during George W. Bush’s presidency, focused on counterterrorism strategy. He’s from Rhode Island and attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis. He’s worked on SEAL teams and was a commander in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
 
 If Trump settles on Harward — always an “if” with Trump — that’s a huge win for Jim Mattis. Harward served under the secretary of defense back when he was at Central Command and remains both an ally and friend. Harward has been under consideration as a possible undersecretary of defense for intelligence. 
 
 K.T. McFarland in the Oval Office last week. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) 
 
 9. Who else leaves the White House because Flynn is gone? Flynn’s departure means that the people he brought with him are likely to go too. The new national security adviser will want his own loyalists. Kellogg is considered a Flynn guy, the New York Times notes, as is K.T. McFarland, the deputy national security adviser. She is expected to leave soon. 
 
 Reince Priebus, Mike Pence, Steve Bannon, Sean Spicer and Michael Flynn listen as Trump speaks by phone with Vladimir Putin on Jan. 28. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) 
 
 10. Who exactly is in charge at the White House? Yesterday was just the latest illustration of the chaos and dysfunction that plague the infant administration. Officials found themselves in an uncomfortable holding pattern for much of Monday, unsure about whether to defend Flynn and privately grumbling about the president’s indecisiveness. 
 
 “After Trump made it through a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau without being asked about Flynn, a group of reporters gathered outside Spicer’s office for more than 80 minutes,” Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker report. “Spicer twice declined to answer questions about Flynn. When chief of staff Reince Priebus walked by, he was asked whether the president still had confidence in Flynn. Priebus gave no answer. Then, a few minutes later, Kellyanne Conway, the counselor to the president, declared on MSNBC that Trump had ‘full confidence’ in Flynn. Yet a few minutes later after that, Spicer issued an official — and conflicting — statement, saying Trump was ‘evaluating the situation.’” A few hours after that, Flynn was gone. 
 
 Conservative columnist Michael Gerson, a veteran of George W. Bush’s White House, opens his column today with a damning anecdote: Last month, House Speaker Paul Ryan met with a delegation from the president-elect on tax reform. Attending were Priebus, Conway, Stephen K. Bannon, Jared Kushner and Stephen Miller. As the meeting began, Ryan pointedly asked, “Who’s in charge?” There was silence. 
 
 “It is still the right question,” Michael writes. “Former officials with deep knowledge of the presidency describe Trump’s White House staff as top-heavy, with five or six power centers and little vertical structure. ‘The desire to be a big shot is overrunning any sense of team,’ says one experienced Republican. ‘This will cause terrible dysfunction, distraction, disloyalty and leaks.’” 
 
 Michael Flynn gestures as he arrives with his son, Michael Jr., at Trump Tower during the transition. (Carolyn Kaster/AP) 
 
 THREE NOTABLE REACTIONS — 
 
 From the Clintons: You might recall that Flynn led the crowd at the Republican National Convention in chants of “ Lock her up” last summer. “If I did a tenth of what she did, I would be in jail today,” he said, referring to Hillary Clinton. The former secretary of state has certainly not forgotten. 
 
 Philippe Reines, a longtime Clinton adviser who played the role of Trump in debate prep, noted that Michael Jr. has been an unapologetic purveyor of conspiracy theories: 
 
 Dear Mike Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr., 
 
 
 
 What goes around COMETS around. 
 
 
 
 And given your pizza obsession...https://t.co/rmyO7wyJKX 
 
 
 
 xo 
 
 
 
 Philippe — Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) February 14, 2017 
 
 Clinton herself retweeted the post with this message: 
 
 Philippe's got his own way of saying things, but he has a point about the real consequences of fake news... https://t.co/a02sXiaHfp — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 14, 2017 
 
 From the Russians: One of the Kremlin’s propaganda arms, Russia Today, reported that Flynn chose to “retire." 
 
 From Kurt Bardella: The former spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) when he chaired the House Oversight Committee acknowledged the obvious: 
 
 if the first four weeks of the #Obama presidency were like this when I worked at #oversight we'd have issued so many subpoenas by now — Kurt Bardella (@kurtbardella) February 14, 2017 
 
 Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter. 
 
 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: 
 
 Kim Jong Nam travels in 2001. (AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 -- South Korean outlets are reporting that the older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been killed in Malaysia by two female agents with “poison needles.” Anna Fifield reports: “The reports — which could not immediately be verified — said Kim’s half-brother Kim Jong Nam was attacked at Kuala Lumpur airport Monday night by two women who fled the scene. … He died on the way to hospital, [the reports] said, citing an unidentified government source. South Korea’s state-run Yonhap News Agency reported similar details. There was no such report on North Korea’s tightly controlled media. But, if true, it would make another surprising twist in the tales of North Korea’s leadership.” 
 
 Syrian refugee Baraa Haj Khalaf arrives at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. (Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 -- A federal judge in Virginia issued a preliminary injunction against Trump’s travel ban, citing a likely violation of the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of religion. Rachel Weiner reports: In her opinion, Judge Leonie M. Brinkema wrote that the Commonwealth of Virginia “has produced unrebutted evidence” that the order “was not motivated by rational national security concerns” but “religious prejudice” toward Muslims. She cited Trump’s statements before taking office, as well as an interview in which former New York City mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R) said that the president wanted a “Muslim ban.” The order applies only to Virginia residents and students, but comes as another legal blow to the White House. 
 
 -- Immigration authorities arrested 680 people last week who were in the United States illegally, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said last night, following a wave of immigration raids in at least a dozen states. Abigail Hauslohner and Sandhya Somashekhar report: “DHS … said that approximately 75 percent of those arrested were ‘criminal aliens,’ including some who had been convicted of crimes such as homicide, sexual assault of a minor and drug trafficking. Asked to provide further clarification, a DHS official confirmed that the term ‘criminal aliens’ includes anyone who had entered the United States illegally, overstayed or violated the terms of a visa. There are an estimated 11 million people in the United States who fit that profile. ICE has characterized the raids as routine, but immigrant rights groups said the actions were out of the ordinary and that most of those swept up were not dangerous. They said ICE also handled the detentions — which activists described as playing out in homes, on the side of the road and outside workplaces — differently from how the agency had in the latter years of the Obama administration.” 
 
 -- The Virginia Senate advanced a bill that would require jails and prisons in the state to detain inmates up to two days beyond their sentence to give federal immigration authorities time to pick them up. The measure is part of a flurry of Republican-backed legislation meant to crack down on illegal immigration. (Laura Vozzella) 
 
 -- America’s top universities, including Stanford and all eight Ivy League schools, added their support to a legal challenge to Trump’s executive order, arguing that it hinders their global mission and harms some individuals directly. Trump has caused significant hardship for scholars: Six students and scholars at Princeton University were outside the country and unable to return when the ban was put in place, for example, and an additional 45 were unable to leave the United States. And there are future harms: 150 applicants to graduate programs at Princeton are from the seven countries listed in the order. Read the full 33-page amicus brief here. (Susan Svrluga) 
 
 Steven Mnuchin recites the oath of office during a swearing-in ceremony inside the Oval Office last night. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool via Bloomberg) 
 
 -- The Senate confirmed Steven Mnuchin as treasury secretary in a 53-47 vote, capping a contentious and protracted debate while adding another former banker to Trump’s roster of advisers. Max Ehrenfreund reports: “Mnuchin ran a bank, OneWest, that foreclosed on tens of thousands of Americans following the financial crisis, and Democrats argued that he would not represent the financial interests of ordinary Americans in office.” Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) was the only Democrat to vote in his favor. 
 
 -- Senators also unanimously voted to confirm David Shulkin to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, making him the sole holdover from the Obama administration to serve in Trump’s Cabinet. Lisa Rein reports: “The 57-year-old Pennsylvania native will now run the second-largest federal agency after serving 18 months as undersecretary for health in charge of VA’s sprawling medical system. … After a long search for a leader who could turn around a system Trump denounced on the campaign trail as a tragic failure, the president surprised critics by turning inside rather than outside for a VA leader. No senators dissented on Shulkin’s nomination in a rare show of bipartisanship.... Shulkin’s approval makes him the 11th high-ranking Trump official to be confirmed by the Senate." 
 
 -- Now, Democrats are training their fire on labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder. At least four Republican senators are on the fence about whether to support him, ramping up pressure on the fast-food CEO to win over members of Trump’s own party ahead of his confirmation vote. Ed O’Keefe reports: “The four Republicans are all members of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where Puzder is set to appear Thursday to answer questions. Among the skeptics is Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who said … she has reviewed footage of an ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ interview with Puzder’s ex-wife, who once appeared in disguise on the program to discuss the multiple times she says that Puzder physically assaulted her in the 1980s. [She recently retracted the allegations]. In addition to Collins, Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are withholding judgment.” 
 
 Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) talks Monday with Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) before a meeting at the Rayburn Office Building. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) 
 
 -- The House Oversight Committee voted 22 to 14 to block a D.C. law that would legalize assisted suicide. The move opens a new front in the conflict between congressional Republicans and the overwhelmingly Democratic city of Washington, Peter Jamison and Aaron C. Davis report: “It was one of only a handful of times in the four-decade history of D.C. home rule that members of Congress have tried to use their constitutional power to overturn a city law, and the first attempt since the GOP took control of both Congress and the White House in January. The vote was largely along party lines … In a split-screen moment, as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was voting, more than 700 District residents and elected leaders jammed into the Atlas Performing Arts Center about a mile away for a ‘Hands Off D.C.’ brainstorming session focused on ways to stop Congress from intervening in D.C. affairs.” 
 
 Jeffrey Sandusky's mugshot (Centre County Correctional Facility via AP) 
 
 GET SMART FAST:​​ 
 
 The 41-year-old son of disgraced child molester and former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a child. The charges against Jeffrey Sandusky stem from an investigation that began last fall and involve two underage children of a woman he had been dating. (Cindy Boren and Des Bieler) The Trump administration sanctioned Venezuela’s new vice president, accusing him of being a drug kingpin and helping to facilitate drug shipments bound for Mexico and the United States. The sanctions against Tareck El Aissami — currently in line to succeed the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro — will significantly erode already strained relations between the two governments. (Carol Morello) Twelve current and former TSA agents and airport employees were indicted by a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle tons of cocaine through the airport in San Juan. U.S. attorneys believe 20 tons of drugs were smuggled from 1998 to 2016, passing through the TSA security system in checked luggage. (Ashley Halsey III) Six New England Patriots players have now announced they will skip out on the traditional post-Super Bowl trip to the White House, citing problems with the man who currently occupies the Oval Office. (Cindy Boren) A new analysis found that the number of retirement-age adults in the United States taking at least three psychiatric drugs has more than doubled since 2004, even though almost half of patients had no mental health diagnosis on record. The study suggests inappropriate prescribing to older people is more common than previously thought. (New York Times) The National Weather Service suffered a “catastrophic” outage for nearly three hours yesterday, which temporarily shut down the country’s primary weather alert system on a day that saw both blizzards on one side of the map and dire flooding threats on the other. (Jason Samenow) Disney severed ties with YouTube star PewDiePie after he posted a series of videos that featured anti-Semitic jokes and Nazi imagery, including footage of Hitler. One video on the 27-year-old’s page featured two Indian men laughing and holding a sign reading, “Death to all Jews.” He reportedly paid them to hold it for the video. (Wall Street Journal) A new study finds that a small number of “superspreaders” accounted for a majority of the Ebola cases during the 2014-2015 epidemic. In fact, researchers estimate just three percent of people were responsible for infecting about 61 percent of cases, showing that the “superspreading” phenomenon was a more important factor in driving the epidemic than previously realized. (Lena H Sun) Hamas named a hard-liner and top militia commander, Yehiya Sinwar, as its new leader in Gaza, appointing a man branded as a “terrorist” by Israel. He was previously sentenced to multiple life terms in prison for his role as the mastermind in the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers. (Hazam Balousha and William Booth) A suicide bomber killed at least 13 people and left 80 others injured after detonating at a protest in Pakistan, where hundreds of pharmacists and drug company officials were gathered to hold a peaceful demonstration. (Pamela Constable and Shaiq Hussain) Five Pakistani bloggers known for voicing their left-leaning political views online were each abducted, then returned, over a several-day period last month — but each has each remained mysteriously silent about their experiences. Their similar, oddly timed captures have prompted fears that the kidnappings are being carried out by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, which have long since been accused of using “enforced disappearances” for punishing dissidents. (Pamela Constable) A convicted sex offender who was just released from prison has been charged with the rape and murder of Ohio State Universty student Reagan Tokes, a 21-year-old who was just months away from graduating. Her body was found at a park near the university. (Kristine Guerra) The wife and stepson of a Ku Klux Klan leader who was found dead in a river in rural Missouri last weekend have been charged with his murder. (Amy B Wang) A brutal obituary went viral after it remembered a 74-year-old Texas man as living “29 years longer than expected and much longer than he deserved.” “With Leslie’s passing he will be missed only for what he never did; being a loving husband, father and good friend,” it read. "No services will be held, there will be no prayers for eternal peace.… Leslie’s passing proves that evil does in fact die and hopefully marks a time of healing and safety for all.” The obituary was posted by the man’s daughter, who says she has no regrets. (Sarah Larimer) A woman in south-central Texas is suing a Popeyes restaurant for more than $1 million, claiming an entrée from the restaurant contained flesh-eating screwworms that began eating her “from the inside out.” The restaurant chain and scientists say such a scenario is not possible, however — and some have suggested her suffering has been caused by a rare psychological condition instead. (Lindsey Bever) An updated questionnaire from the dating app OK Cupid now features several political questions, such as “Is climate change real?” and “Do you feel there should be a ban on immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries entering the U.S.?” One simply asks, “Trump?” (The Verge) 
 
 Richard DeAgazio's post on Facebook. 
 
 PALM BEACH INTRIGUE: 
 
 -- David Fahrenthold has the latest details on how Trump turned the terrace of his Mar-a-Lago club into an open-air situation room: “As a Mar-a-Lago member, [Richard] DeAgazio already had remarkable access to a president that day. He had earlier snapped pictures of Trump and Abe golfing. … Now, as a national-security crisis broke out in front of him, DeAgazio continued snapping pictures — and posting them on Facebook. ‘The President receiving the news about the Missile incident from North Korea on Japan with the Prime Minister sitting next to him,’ DeAgazio wrote as the caption for a photo he posted on Facebook [on Saturday evening]. Later, he posted other photos of Trump and Abe’s discussion, including some that seemed to have been taken from just a few feet away. Those photos have now been seen around the world, providing photographic proof of this unusual moment. 'HOLY MOLY!!!’ DeAgazio wrote later, when he posted those closer-up photos. ‘It was fascinating to watch the flurry of activity at dinner when the news came that North Korea had launched a missile in the direction of Japan. … Wow.....the center of the action!!!’ 
 
 Security experts have said this casual approach to national security discussions was very risky: "The two leaders could have discussed classified documents within earshot of waiters and club patrons. Those cellphones-turned-flashlights might also have been a problem: If one of them had been hacked by a foreign power, the phone’s camera could have provided a view of what the documents said.” But DeAgazio, for his part, said he was impressed that Trump had not moved to seek a more private place for his conversations. 'He chooses to be out on the terrace, with the members. It just shows that he’s a man of the people,' DeAgazio said." 
 
 -- One photo sounding alarm bells shows DeAgazio throwing an arm around the Army officer responsible for handling the “nuclear football," a leather briefcase carrying the material needed to launch a nuclear weapon in the event of an emergency. While it’s unlikely that the photo broke any Defense Department regulations, analysts say it is unusual for an aide to agree to be photographed with a civilian — and circulation of the now-viral photo has put the Pentagon in an awkward situation. (Dan Lamothe) 
 
 -- Trump is going back to Mar-a-Lago next weekend for a third straight weekend. (The Hill) 
 
 Omarosa Manigault waits for an event to start in the White House yesterday. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) 
 
 WEST WING INTRIGUE: 
 
 -- Is the White House keeping secret dossiers on journalists? Paul Farhi reports: “Conflict and controversy seem to follow Omarosa Manigault, who stirred up plenty of both as a reality-TV star and a longtime associate of President Trump. Manigault, who is now a communications official in the Trump administration, got into a heated argument with a White House reporter just steps from the Oval Office last week, according to witnesses. The reporter, April Ryan, said Manigault ‘physically intimidated’ her in a manner that could have warranted intervention by the Secret Service.… Ryan, a veteran White House correspondent for the American Urban Radio Networks, used the same phrase repeatedly in an interview. ‘She stood right in my face like she was going to hit me,’ Ryan said. ‘I said, ‘You better back up.’ . . . She thought I would be bullied. I won’t be.’’ 
 
 “During their altercation, Ryan said Manigault told her that she was among several African American journalists who were the subject of White House ‘dossiers.’ Manigault has previously said that Trump is keeping 'a list' of opponents, though at the time she was referring to Republicans who voted against Trump." 
 
 Manigault has previously said that Trump is keeping 'a list' of opponents, though at the time she was referring to Republicans who voted against Trump." “The argument apparently stemmed from emails that Manigault sent to Ryan during the presidential campaign. In October, Manigault sent Ryan an email raising questions about whether Ryan was being paid by Hillary Clinton’s campaign — a claim Ryan vigorously denies.” 
 
 In October, Manigault sent Ryan an email raising questions about whether Ryan was being paid by Hillary Clinton’s campaign — a claim Ryan vigorously denies.” “Manigault, a onetime friend of Ryan’s, declined to address Ryan’s accusations on the record, offering only this emailed statement: ‘My comment: Fake news!’ She did not specify what she considered false.” 
 
 -- Trump scrapped yet another trip to the Midwest. This time he canceled a visit to Ohio, nixing plans to sign a resolution that would get rid of a "Stream Protection Rule” enacted by the Obama administration. The rule was intended to keep coal mines from dumping waste into streams. White House officials have not yet given a reason for the abrupt change in plans, but it seems like it would be terrible optics to have an event highlight a rollback of environmental protections. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) 
 
 Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus listen during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) 
 
 -- Five more nuggets from Ashley Parker and Phil Rucker’s piece on the dysfunctional White House, based on interviews with a dozen White House officials and other Republicans: “Trump — distracted by political brushfires, often of his own making — has failed to fill such key posts as White House communications director, while sub-Cabinet positions across agencies and scores of ambassadorships around the globe still sit empty.” 
 
 Staffers, meanwhile, are so fearful of being accused of talking to the media that some have resorted to a secret chat app — Confide — that erases messages as soon as they’re read. 
 
 Some senior officials are worried about their own standing with the president, who through his casual conversations with friends and associates sometimes seems to hint that a shake-up could come at a moment’s notice. 
 
 Aides said they strive to avoid appearing “weak” or “low energy” — two of Trump’s least favorite attributes. 
 
 Staffers buzz privately about who is up and who is down: “Aides said Trump was especially upset by a sketch that cast (Steve) Bannon as the Grim Reaper manipulating the president — who was ultimately relegated to a miniature desk, playing dolefully with an expandable toy. 
 
 In an administration where proximity to Trump is power, aides, advisers and visitors often mill about in the West Wing, lingering long after their scheduled appointments have ended. 
 
 Visitors take photos during a tour of the White House in 2015 after Michelle Obama lifted a 40-year-old ban on taking photos during public tours of the executive mansion. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) 
 
 -- The White House has remained closed for public tours since Trump took office – an unusually long lull as the new administration moves to fill positions and get the operation running. The delay has prompted complaints from at least two dozen members of Congress, who penned a letter urging the swift reopening of the office that handles tours. They’re responsible for organizing constituent trips to the White House, and many say the number of backlogged requests is now in the hundreds. (Emily Heil) 
 
 But when guests are allowed back on the premises, many will be pleased to see at least one mainstay of the Obama White House has endured: the vegetable garden. A spokesman for Melania Trump confirmed that the gardens – once referred to by Michelle Obama as her “baby” – will remain in place under the new White House inhabitants. “As a mother and as the First Lady of this country, Mrs. Trump is committed to the preservation and continuation of the White House Gardens, specifically the First Lady’s Kitchen Garden and the Rose Garden,” Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, senior adviser to the first lady, said in a statement. (Peter Holley) 
 
 Trump listens during a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) 
 
 TRUMP'S WORLD: 
 
 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Trump urged him to seek closer ties with Moscow. “President Trump understands Japan’s (policy) to promote dialogue with [Putin] to resolve the territorial issue,” Abe told a TV program after returning from the United States. Abe also said that he agreed with Trump on the need to engage in dialogue with Putin to resolve outstanding global issues, including Syria and Ukraine. (The Japan Times) 
 
 -- EU lawyers are preparing a legal challenge against Trump's contentious border tax proposals – ramping up what could be the biggest case in World Trade Organization history. “If someone is behaving against our interests or against international rules in trade then we have our own mechanisms to react,” said European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen. He added that the EU was seeking to avoid a potential trade war with the United States as it would be "disastrous" for the global economy. (The Telegraph) 
 
 -- POTUS hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday afternoon, appearing remarkably presidential as he stood next to the Canadian leader at a joint press conference. Jenna Johnson takes note of how Trump’s behavior changes in the presence of foreign leaders: “As Trudeau took his turn speaking, Trump stood stoically, gazing out at the reporters assembled in the White House’s lavish East Room. ‘Prime Minister Trudeau, on behalf of all Americans, I thank you for being with us today,’ Trump said flatly, without looking at his fellow world leader. ‘It is my honor to host such a great friend, neighbor and ally at the White House — A. Very. Special. Place.’ For a man who has long been fascinated by celebrities, the opportunity to share a stage with another world leader is the ultimate reminder of just how far he has unexpectedly come. His demeanor is remarkably different in these moments. It appears as though he has been cast by a Hollywood director to play the very serious role of President of the United States... 
 
 "Monday’s news conference with Trudeau was different because the prime minister flawlessly switched between French and English, composing long, warm sentences in both languages. Trump repeatedly put in and took out earpieces to hear a translation, but finally just flung them onto the lectern with a flick of personality that had been missing up until that moment." 
 
 -- Reporters were mad after Trump made it through another press conference with a visiting foreign dignitary without answering serious questions from the White House press corps. From CNN’s Dylan Byers: “In a joint appearance with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, Trump took just two questions from U.S. reporters -- one from the conservative Daily Caller and the other from a D.C. television station owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, both of which are widely viewed as favorable to Trump. None of the questions pertained to Flynn. Reporters and media personalities expressed outrage on Twitter, and accused the White House of foul play: ‘No questions about Flynn's status even though it is leading every newscast?? Are these planted questions on the Washington side?’ Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin asked on Twitter.” 
 
 Paul Ryan speaks during a news conference. (Michael Reynolds/EPA) 
 
 CONGRESS: 
 
 -- House conservatives — anxious that the GOP effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is getting sidelined amid fights over what a replacement should look like — are plotting a major push to repeal the law immediately without simultaneously approving an alternative. Politico’s Rachel Bade reports: “The House Freedom Caucus and a number of Republican Study Committee members this week will urge [Paul Ryan] and his lieutenants to forego their plan to add replacement provisions to a repeal bill, dubbed ‘repeal-plus.’ Instead, they want to approve the same standalone repeal bill that Congress sent to [Obama] in 2016. The stand by several dozen hardliners comes as House GOP leaders were planning to outline the main planks of a replacement blueprint at a series of informational sessions with rank and file member Tuesday and Thursday …”The position is at odds with GOP leadership’s latest strategy to load up a spring repeal bill — which could pass both chambers on party lines using a reconciliation tool – and highlights the stark division among Republicans as they grabble with how to replace Obamacare.” 
 
 A sign is seen submerged by flowing water near Oroville, California, yesterday. Almost 200,000 people are under evacuation orders in northern California after a threat of catastrophic failure at the United States' tallest dam. The dam is 75 miles north of San Francisco. (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) 
 
 WAPO HIGHLIGHT: 
 
 -- “Officials were warned the Oroville Dam emergency spillway wasn’t safe. They didn’t listen,” by Kristine Guerra: “In 2005, three environmental groups warned state and federal officials about what they believed was a problem with the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway, which was at risk of collapsing over the weekend in California as recent storms caused the adjacent massive reservoir to swell. Their concern, which seemed to have fallen on deaf ears: The emergency spillway is not really a spillway. Rather, it’s a 1,700-foot-long concrete weir that empties into a dirt hillside. That means in the event of severe flooding, water would erode that hillside and flood nearby communities, the groups said then. That nearly happened Sunday, when a hole on the emergency spillway threatened to flood the surrounding area and prompted officials to evacuate thousands of residents who remained displaced as of Monday afternoon.” Now, some say none of this would have happen had officials listened to concerns and 12 years ago and agreed to build a proper emergency spillway. 
 
 SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ: 
 
 Joe Scarborough ripped Stephen Miller for saying on the Sunday shows that the president's national security actions "will not be questioned:" 
 
 I hope the president is talking about The Steve Miller Band and not that kid who embarrassed the White House this morning. #SweatsLikeMarco https://t.co/IqHiOXtE3V — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 13, 2017 
 
 VIDEO: Stephen Miller’s performance this weekend made Susan Rice’s the day after Benghazi look smooth. https://t.co/ES0FATmrXo pic.twitter.com/35qdBNxge3 — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 13, 2017 
 
 Who said this: 
 
 
 
 "The president's powers are not to be questioned." — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 13, 2017 
 
 "The president's power will not be questioned." --Stephen Miller pic.twitter.com/y5bNAGvYUT — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 14, 2017 
 
 Ripped from the pages of 1984: The powers of the president will not be questioned. pic.twitter.com/Uq3drqo3ii — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 14, 2017 
 
 And he went after Flynn: 
 
 What happens if you don't cave in to every demand? Asking for a friend. https://t.co/gQElFJ4d7a — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 14, 2017 
 
 An east wind is coming. — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 14, 2017 
 
 Fox's Sean Hannity, a staunch Trump defender, pushed back: 
 
 Joe why don't you focus on getting your horrific ratings up. They totally suck. And I'll take Steve Miller on my team over u any day. https://t.co/9FKBvpYRXp — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 13, 2017 
 
 Steve Miller works 18 hour days serving the country and the @POTUS What do you do? Basically talk to yourself & @morningmika Nobody watches! https://t.co/9FKBvpYRXp — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 13, 2017 
 
 Joe What an elitist snob. Obviously Steve was talking about enumerated constitutional powers of the POTUS being commander in chief. https://t.co/rRAnHl5MmK — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 13, 2017 
 
 Let's make a deal. You leave Steven Miller alone (as you know he cannot respond) and I'll ignore you like most of America does. https://t.co/yv0mtEDSbD — Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 13, 2017 
 
 White House social media director Dan Scavino weighed in: 
 
 Hannity owns jealous Joe😡 https://t.co/hyoMgNAQgd — Dan Scavino Jr. (@DanScavino) February 13, 2017 
 
 The scene in the House cloakroom last night: 
 
 Amateur hour: Trump’s official inauguration portrait on sale at the Library of Congress had an obvious error in it. The quote on the 8-inch-by-10-inch print misspelled “too” as “to.” “No dream is too big, no challenge is to great. Nothing we want for the future is beyond our reach,” it reads. 
 
 Get'cher official Trump print from the Library of Congress. Extra "o" in "too" available separately. pic.twitter.com/Q7OTqpCPjN — Stephen Lautens (@stephenlautens) February 12, 2017 
 
 Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau compared the infamous Situation Room photo during the Bin Laden raid to the scene at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend: 
 
 Social media buzzed about Richard DeAgazio's pictures from the weekend: 
 
 Trump's paying members at Mar-a-Lago also get access to Bannon. pic.twitter.com/orzQx3Zv2O — Samuel Oakford (@samueloakford) February 13, 2017 
 
 Mar-a-Lago member who pays Trump hundreds of thousands of dollars posts pics of - and identifies - US official carrying nuclear football. pic.twitter.com/oyAfY0E9Fj — Samuel Oakford (@samueloakford) February 13, 2017 
 
 "Trump ran a campaign based on intelligence security" is a bad premise but holy cow this post https://t.co/6h1psYm7a1 pic.twitter.com/PPSiPXvJwc — Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) February 13, 2017 
 
 A Texas congressman wondered whether waiters at Mar-A-Lago have security clearance: 
 
 Does the wait staff at Mar-a-Lago have security clearance? Serious question. pic.twitter.com/CceYlJubag — Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 13, 2017 
 
 Former White House photographer Pete Souza has been trolling Trump by publishing photos that underscore Trump's missteps (this one shows Obama receiving important information in a secure setting): 
 
 So Pete Souza is definitely throwing shade at Trump here pic.twitter.com/xyo69iC8Kn — Olivia Messer (@OliviaMesser) February 13, 2017 
 
 Here's one of Obama with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who visited Trump yesterday: 
 
 Regarding the RNC's tweet of that Lincoln "quote:" 
 
 Which is still making the rounds on Twitter (this is a GOP operative): 
 
 For my money still the best Lincoln quote. pic.twitter.com/QYRDmy39Gg — Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) February 13, 2017 
 
 With Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who spent the weekend at Mar-a-Lago with Trump: 
 
 Democratic lawmakers are not amused: 
 
 Help Wanted: White House Security Director. — Martin Heinrich (@MartinHeinrich) February 13, 2017 
 
 Kris Kobach takes issue with CNN calling out Trump's voter fraud claims as false: 
 
 This image shows proof of @CNN bias. They run text below my picture claiming my statements are false. So much for letting the viewer decide. pic.twitter.com/vXslvF7oKk — Kris W. Kobach (@KrisKobach1787) February 13, 2017 
 
 Golf Digest puts a price tag on Trump's golf club: 
 
 Donald Trump appeared to use his $3,755 gold driver in golf match with Japan Prime Minister: https://t.co/h7fKF4Dvux pic.twitter.com/TXL7r6KKFE — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) February 13, 2017 
 
 Lots of commentary about the infighting in the Trump White House: 
 
 White House currently has maybe 20 key staffers and 10 of them spend the day telling media why the other 10 should be fired. It's week four. — Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) February 13, 2017 
 
 Days until a president's job *disapproval* hit 55%: 
 
 George W Bush: 1,678 days 
 
 Barack Obama: 950 days 
 
 Donald Trump: 23 days pic.twitter.com/JULxn9egt6 — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) February 12, 2017 
 
 One take on Trump's meeting with Trudeau: 
 
 when u realize how easy it is to reject toxic masculinity pic.twitter.com/yld5PVmJqT — ann friedman (@annfriedman) February 13, 2017 
 
 Trump's own take: 
 
 And from Trudeau: 
 
 Heading back to Ottawa after a busy day. Thanks to President @realDonaldTrump for some good work focused on creating jobs & growth. 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JdTUGVK4Rq — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 13, 2017 
 
 Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) visited some special people: 
 
 GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE: 
 
 -- Foreign Policy, “The Kremlin Is Starting to Worry About Trump,” by Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes: “There is no way of knowing if Russian interference contributed decisively to Trump’s upset victory. But it’s fair to say that the Kremlin viewed the outcome as a divine gift … Now that Trump is in power, [however] political elites in Moscow have stopped cheering. They recognize that Russia’s position has become abruptly and agonizingly complex. It’s true that Trump’s accession opens up the possibility of ‘normalizing’ Russia’s relations with the West … But Trump’s revolution is also ushering in a period of turmoil and uncertainty, including the likelihood of self-defeating trade wars. With Trump in the White House, moreover, Putin has lost his monopoly over geopolitical unpredictability. The Kremlin’s ability to shock the world by taking the initiative and trashing ordinary international rules and customs has allowed Russia to play an oversized international role and to punch above its weight. Putin now has to share the capacity to keep the world off balance … What the Kremlin fears most today is that Trump may be ousted or even killed. Oddly, therefore, Putin has become a hostage to Trump’s survival and success.” 
 
 -- Wall Street Journal, “The Rise and Fall of a K Street Renegade,” by Brody Mullins: “Few outside Washington had ever heard of Evan Morris. Yet in the capital of wheeling and dealing, he was one of its most gifted operators. From his start as an intern in the Clinton White House, he made powerful friends and at age 27 became a top Washington lobbyist for Roche Holding AG of Switzerland … As head of the company's Washington office, Mr. Morris oversaw a budget that over a decade ballooned to about $50 million a year and supported hundreds of lobbyists and consultants. His apparent success afforded luxuries including $2,000 bottles of wine, a $3 million waterfront vacation home, a $300,000 mahogany speedboat and four Porsches. He belonged to eight private golf courses and hired top chefs to cook for dinner parties at his home. … Government investigators now suspect Mr. Morris embezzled millions of dollars from his company over a decade in a kickback scheme involving Washington consultants he did business with.” (Read the whole thing.) 
 
 -- Variety cover story, “Scott Pelley, Lester Holt, David Muir: The Unprecedented Joint Interview,” by Brian Steinberg: “For this week’s cover story, David Muir, Scott Pelley, and Lester Holt sat down last week in New York with Variety senior TV editor Brian Steinberg for a candid conversation about the news business.” Scott Pelley: “We’re not in this business to close minds, we’re in this business to open them. That can be a very painful experience sometimes.” (Read the interview in its entirety here.) 
 
 HOT ON THE LEFT: “A Dangerous Troll Is Now Reporting From The White House,” from Media Matters for America: “The internet’s most hapless political blogger now has his own White House correspondent -- a regular contributor with little reporting experience but ample ties to ‘alt-right’ harassment -- sitting in the White House press briefing room. At the January 19 ‘Deploraball’ event … Gateway Pundit founder … Jim Hoft announced that his outlet would have a White House correspondent with the Trump administration, and that Lucian Wintrich would fill the position. On February 13, Hoft posted a ‘reader alert’ that Hoft and Wintrich will be attending the day's White House press briefing. Hours later, Hoft tweeted a photo of himself and Wintrich standing behind the lectern in the White House press briefing room, displaying a hand signal associated with the racist ‘Pepe’ meme. The tweet itself also included the hashtag ‘Pepe’ and a frog emoji, commonly understood to invoke the hate symbol.” HOT ON THE RIGHT: Trump ties to Upper East Side school stirs moms, from Page Six: “Upper East Side moms are having a spirited online debate over whether to boycott a school where a grandchild of President Trump is a student. One of the anonymous contributors to UrbanBaby.com said her son had gotten into Buckley [School], but she didn’t want to send him there because a son of Donald Trump Jr.’s (likely 4-year-old Spencer Frederick) is said to be going to kindergarten there in the fall. “They will be in the same classroom and I don’t think I can deal with this. Birthday parties, etc.,” the mother wrote. [Another mother responded]: ‘You almost have to decline. It sounds like it will drive you crazy … You want to spend nine years worried that DS [darling son] is getting infected with Trumpism?’” 
 
 DAYBOOK: 
 
 At the White House: Trump will participate in a “parent-teacher conference listening session” and have lunch with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife. He will then sign H.J. Res. 41. Later in the afternoon, Trump will meet with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and the Attorney General Jeff Sessions. 
 
 Mike Pence will speak with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson by phone before joining Trump for the parent-teacher listening session. Later, he will travel to Capitol Hill to participate in the Tuesday Group Lunch and the Senate Republican Policy Lunch and participate in the Tuesday Group Lunch and the swearing-in of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin before joining Trump’s meeting with Kelly and Sessions. 
 
 On Capitol Hill: The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m., and will hold full floor votes on Linda McMahon’s nomination for SBA administrator. 
 
 Washington Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky (65) pushes away a St. Louis Blues player during a game last year. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post) 
 
 NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.: 
 
 -- Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky got a free ride home from a fan this weekend after he mistook him for an Uber driver. The star then convinced the fan to give him a ride home anyways. “Do you know who I am?” Burakovsky reportedly said, before providing photos for proof. The fan then agreed and took a selfie with him. (Scott Allen) 
 
 -- Mostly sunny with (thankfully) almost none of yesterday’s aggressive windiness. The Capital Weather Gang forecasts: “Skies are cloudy this morning but we should see gradual clearing this afternoon. Temperatures will also be slightly higher than yesterday, ranging from the upper 40s to the lower 50s with a light breeze from the south.” 
 
 -- A Prince George’s County Council member has requested a jury trial on drunken driving and related traffic charges stemming from a November crash that inured two people and wrecked a government vehicle. The lawmaker, Mel Franklin, was slated to appear in court yesterday, but his request moves the case to the county’s circuit court, where he will receive a trial date. (Lynh Bui) 
 
 -- Three minority-based legislative caucuses in Maryland are uniting around a bill that would limit the state’s cooperation with deportation authorities, aligning with so-called “sanctuary” policies that have been adopted by cities and counties across the nation. (Josh Hicks) 
 
 -- The Wizards beat the Thunder. 
 
 -- A VERY UNLUCKY GUY, via Peter Hermann: “Police started chasing a black Jeep Cherokee because it fit the description of a vehicle taken in a carjacking about 90 minutes earlier in which the driver had been shot and left lying on a road in Northeast Washington. But when police finally caught up with the Jeep and its driver Friday night at the Maryland Live Casino just off I-295 in Anne Arundel County, Md., they quickly realized that they had chased the wrong vehicle. Still, they say its driver fled from police, and on Monday authorities revealed a possible reason. Police in Anne Arundel County charged Larry P. Browne Jr., 43, of Northeast Washington, with possession with intent to distribute drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia. He faces up to six years in prison. Meanwhile, police said on Monday the Jeep Cherokee taken in the carjacking and shooting in the District had been found burned. Nobody has been arrested in that case.” 
 
 VIDEOS OF THE DAY: 
 
 John Oliver on Trump vs. The Truth: 
 
 Stephen Colbert takes on Stephen Miller: 
 
 Highlights from the Trump-Trudeau presser: 
 
 We rounded up all the political moments from the Grammy's: ||||| Get the latest from TODAY Sign up for our newsletter 
 
 / Updated / Source: TODAY By Eun Kyung Kim 
 
 National security adviser Michael Flynn abruptly resigned late Monday after acknowledging “he had become a lightning rod” over his dealings with Russia, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday. 
 
 Flynn’s departure comes after he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other senior White House officials about information he shared with the Russian ambassador to the United States. 
 
 “In the end, it was misleading the vice president that made the situation unsustainable,” Conway told TODAY’s Matt Lauer. 
 
 “The incomplete information or the inability to completely recall what did or did not happen as reflected in his debriefing of particular phone calls — that really is what happened here,” she said. 
 
 RELATED: If Michael Flynn misled VP, that could be a ‘fireable offense,’ Chuck Todd says 
 
 Flynn’s departure comes less than a month into the job and follows revelations about information he shared with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak over American sanctions against Russia in late December, weeks before Trump took office. 
 
 "He knew he had become a lightening rod and he made that decision," Conway said. 
 
 NBC NEWS: Flynn quits as national security adviser over talks with Russia 
 
 Flynn initially told the the vice president he did not discuss sanctions imposed on Russia, a claim Pence repeatedly widely during media interviews. In his resignation letter, Flynn addressed the issue. 
 
 "Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology," Flynn wrote in the letter. 
 
 On TODAY, Conway was asked repeatedly why, despite reports that the Justice Department told the White House last month that Flynn had misled them and even put himself at risk for blackmail, he continued to retain the president's full trust. 
 
 “That’s one characterization," Conway said. "But the fact is that General Flynn continued in that position and was in the presidential daily briefings, was part of the leader calls as recently as (Monday) … and as time wore on, obviously the situation had become unsustainable.” 
 
 Conway added that the president accepted Flynn's resignation and "wishes him well, and we're moving on," noting three "very strong candidates" the administration is considering to replace him. ||||| (CNN) The White House struggled Tuesday to answer an avalanche of questions over national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation. 
 
 Flynn was asked to quit Monday after it became public that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about whether he had discussed US sanctions during pre-inauguration phone calls with the Kremlin's man in Washington, Sergey Kislyak. 
 
 In new developments Tuesday, it emerged that President Donald Trump was told on January 26 -- more than two weeks ago -- that the Justice Department had concerns about Flynn's conduct. 
 
 Pence did not find out he had been misled until February 9, according to two administration officials. 
 
 "It's not that he was being left out. It was a legal review," one source said. 
 
 When Pence began his inquiry based on Washington Post reporting , "the timeline moved fast," the source said. 
 
 A subsequent review by White House counsel Donald McGahn found that he had not broken the law in his conversations with the Russian envoy. If Flynn discussed detailed policy with the Russian envoy, he could have theoretically infringed the Logan Act that prevents private citizens negotiating with foreign governments over their disputes with the United States. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Paul Ryan: Trump right to ask Flynn to resign Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Paul Ryan: Trump right to ask Flynn to resign 00:56 
 
 Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Flynn's resignation was precipitated not by misconduct but by a gradual erosion of the President's confidence in him, including over a "series of other questionable instances." 
 
 "The level of trust between the President and Gen. Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change," Spicer told reporters Tuesday during his daily briefing. "The President was very concerned that Gen. Flynn had misled the vice president and others." 
 
 A senior administration official later told CNN the other "questionable instances" included Flynn's request for a security clearance for his son during the transition. He requested the clearance without telling Pence, who at the time was in charge of the transition. 
 
 Trump's growing skepticism about Flynn, however, did not prevent the national security adviser from spending the weekend before his ouster with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 
 
 Spicer's attempts to put out the firestorm are unlikely to end the saga, not least because several prominent Republicans on Tuesday joined Democrats in calling for congressional probes into Trump's ties to Moscow, an explosive issue given allegations by the US intelligence community that the Kremlin intervened in the presidential election to help him. 
 
 Tuesday's developments also left key questions in the intrigue unanswered -- including why it took Trump more than two weeks to push Flynn out after he learned that his national security adviser had not told the truth to Pence. 
 
 Flynn was eventually asked to resign on a dramatic day of confusion and conflicting messages from the West Wing, hours after the publication of a Washington Post report that revealed the Justice Department's warning to the White House counsel's office. 
 
 Adding to the drama, a White House official said on Tuesday afternoon that the FBI, which is already investigating alleged contacts between Trump surrogates and Russian officials and intermediaries, interviewed Flynn in the early days of the administration about the calls to the Russian ambassador. 
 
 The cloud of suspicion still lingering over the White House due to the Flynn affair comes as the new administration is embroiled in multiple controversies and internal staff are infighting as it struggles to find its feet. 
 
 It also thrusts Trump's relationship and admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin back in the spotlight. 
 
 Many Washington power players have been astonished by the President's frequent defenses of the Russian leader and determination to improve relations with the Kremlin, despite Moscow's turn to Cold War-style confrontational policies in recent years. 
 
 Those questions are prompting Republican senators to get more aggressive in searching for answers, despite some resistance to a wider probe in the House. 
 
 Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it was "highly likely" that the chamber's intelligence committee would look at allegations that Flynn spoke about sanctions with Kislyak. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Graham vows fight to last breath for sanctions Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Graham vows fight to last breath for sanctions 01:58 
 
 Sens. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican, Roy Blunt and Lindsey Graham also called for an investigation. 
 
 "I think Congress needs to be informed of what actually Gen. Flynn said to the Russian ambassador about lifting sanctions," Graham told CNN's Kate Bolduan on "At This Hour." 
 
 "And I want to know, 'Did General Flynn do this by himself or was he directed by somebody to do it?' " the South Carolina Republican added. 
 
 Democrats on Capitol Hill already smell blood, and are demanding congressional probes. 
 
 "Let's be clear -- right now, there are way more questions than answers on President Trump's relationship with Russia," Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, told reporters. 
 
 Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee said, "The American people deserve to know at whose direction Gen. Flynn was acting when he made these calls, and why the White House waited until these reports were public to take action." 
 
 But the President and some House Republicans pushed back, trying to focus attention on the source of disclosures about Flynn's contacts with Russia that appear to have emerged from intelligence surveillance of the Russian Embassy. 
 
 "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc?" Trump tweeted in his first public reaction to Flynn's departure. 
 
 The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2017 
 
 House intelligence committee Chairman Devin Nunes said the focus of any investigation should be how news of Flynn's calls leaked out. 
 
 Democrats and some Republicans are also asking whether Trump instructed Flynn to talk to the Russian ambassador last year about sanctions imposed by the Obama administration to punish alleged Russian interference in the presidential election. 
 
 Russia did not respond in its normally aggressive way to the expulsion of alleged agents from its diplomatic posts in the US and the closure of several compounds allegedly used for espionage activities, leading to suspicion that it believed that the Trump administration would act in a way more conducive to Moscow's position. 
 
 But Spicer insisted Trump had given no instructions to Flynn to talk about sanctions with Russia. 
 
 "Absolutely not, no, no, no," Spicer said. 
 
 Correction: In an earlier version of the story, a reference to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's comments should have made clear he was talking about allegations surrounding Michael Flynn.
– President Trump knew that Mike Flynn had misled VP Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador weeks before Pence was informed, it emerged Tuesday as the national security adviser's resignation continued to rock the administration. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter tells the Washington Post that the vice president "became aware of incomplete information" on Feb. 9 following a Post story on the issue. The White House, however, says Trump and other top administration officials were briefed on the Justice Department's concerns about Flynn at least two weeks earlier. "It's not that he was being left out. It was a legal review," an administration source tells CNN. In other developments: The FBI interviewed Flynn in late January after it warned the Trump administration that he could be blackmailed, the New York Times reports. If authorities determine that he lied during that interview, he could face felony charges. In an interview with the Daily Caller hours before his resignation, Flynn insisted there were "no lines crossed" in his conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. "It wasn't about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out," Flynn said, referring to former President Obama's expulsion of Russian diplomats in December. "It was basically, 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that." Legal experts tell Politico that Flynn faces a real risk of prosecution if he wasn't truthful with the FBI, and claiming to have forgotten parts of the conversation probably won't work. Lawyer Mark Zaid says a puzzling aspect of the case is that, as a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Flynn must have known that conversations with ambassadors from countries like Russia would be under surveillance. Republican senators are among those calling for a full investigation of the Flynn affair, but he still has his defenders, including Rush Limbaugh. On Tuesday, the radio host described pressure on Flynn as a "political assassination" by the media, the Hill reports. "They think they have blood in the water, they've got a scalp, and they think they can get another and then another and then another and then another until finally they get Trump," he said. The BBC reports that Pence and other top US officials will be in Europe later this week to reassure American allies—though NATO allies will apparently be untroubled by the departure of Flynn, who was seen as "a bizarre and destabilizing appointment."