security visor is out. michael flynn resigned overnight. the fallout from the controversial phone calls with russia and sanctions discussed and lying about it. now new questions from the administration about what it knew and when. we have live coverage now. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm christine romans. tuesday, february 14th. happy valentine's day. i got nothing. >> water? >> it is 5:00 a.m. in the east. only 25 days into the trump administration and chaotic headlines has claimed the first victim thanks to a scandal. breaking overnight. michael flynn resigning under fire. announcement coming in the mounting evidence that flynn spoke to the russians about sanctions and lied about it to top officials. the decision to step down moments after cnn learned the justice department warned the white house last month about flynn's contacts with moscow and possible vulnerability to blackmail. the stunning demise of the president's top confidant sending shock waves through washington. let's go to ryan browne at the capital. >> reporter: thank you, christine. the d

. michael flynn has resigned. flynn, under fire for his contacts with russia's u.s. ambassador before president trump took office. a number of sources said flynn inappropriatelyties cussed sanctions imposed by the obama administration. and the justice department had warned the white house in january, that flynn might be vulnerable to blackmail by russia. >> let's head straight out to washington. cnn's senior white house correspondent, jim acosta, joins us. jim, i suppose his position had been untenable or growing that way. wasn't this sort of accusation of potential blackmail that was the turning point? or was it that he misled mike pence, the vice president? >> i think that revelation that the justice department had warned the trump administration a month ago, michael. that was certainly a turning point in all of this. i think also, this feeling inside the white house, that it just was unacceptable after the national security adviser, michael flynn, the former national security adviser, had misled intentionally or unintentionally, the vice president, mike pence, about whether he had

official, the president demanded the resignation of michael flynn as national security adviser at the white house after he lost complete trust in his capability to perform his responsibilities. it was not a legal issue as much as it was a political issue, an ethical issue if you will. the president simply could no longer trust his national security adviser. once again we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. glor gloria borger and your panel of experts standing by, gloria, he was very tough. kellyanne conway said general flynn decided he should we sign last night and the president accepted that resignation, it was the president who demanded the resignation after he lost complete trust in his ability to carry on those national security responsibilities. very, very stark words from sean spicer. >> right. if you were to do a word cloud today i think the word trust would be the biggest on the page because what sean was emphasizing here was that he did not, and the white house does not consider this a matter of national security or even a legal infraction.

national security adviser, michael flynn, resigning. he says he misled the white house about his communications with russia before the president took office. the big question is, who knew? who knew what flynn was doing with russia? the roots could go very deep. >> and then late last month flynn may have been compromised last month andil blackma blackmail. the major shake-up on day 26 of the trump administration. joe johns is live at the white house. what you have learned? >> good morning, kellyanne -- sorry, alisyn, good morning, alisyn. kellyanne conway said this morning that michael flynn flatly misled the vice president on this issue and he resigned, she says, because he determined that staying on was unsustainable, but there's still a lot of questions ahead. president trump's embattled national security adviser, michael flynn, stepping down after misleading mike pence and others about his conversations with the russian ambassador to the united states. an official telling cnn the justice department warned the white house last month that flynn discussed sanctions with the russi

coverage of the international national security adviser michael flynn continues now, i'm don lemon, thank you for joining us. >>> hello, and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm michael holmes, and it's just 10:00 on monday night. >>> and i'm hannah jones here in london where it's 6 a.m. on tuesday morning. thank you for joining us. >>> well, breaking news from washington, where they have been reporting the national security adviser michael flynn has resigned. he has been under fire for his contacts with the russian u.s. ambassador before president trump took office. >> a number of sources say flynn inappropriately discussed u.s. sanctions on moscow imposed by the obama administration. and just recently we learned that the justice department had warned him that flynn may be vulnerable to blackmail by russia. >> all right, let's go out to our senior white house correspondent, jim acosta. jim, i suppose his relationship had been tenable, or growing that way. but was it the potential idea of blackmail that was at issue, or was it because he misled mike

administration. the national security advisor michael flynn is out after general flynn spoke to the russians about sanctions and lied about it. now the questions don't stop with general flynn. overnight, we learn that the justice department warned the white house last month about flynn's contacts with moscow and possible vulnerable about blackmail. one twist in the stunning fall of the closest confidants. let's get the latest from ryan browne. ryan, flynn is out. now questions about what the president knew and when. >> reporter: that is right, john. this developed in the waning days of the obama administration. then acting attorney general sally yates. discovered the conversations that they had not adhered to what flynn and vice president-elect mike pence had been saying about the russian ambassador kislyak. they had transcripts and sanctions were discussed among other issues. there was a discussion within the obama administration. then director with john brennan and james clapper. we believe they were informed these conversations took place and they differed from the public account

security adviser‘s resignation, only a matter of weeks after he was appointed. michael flynn quit overnight after it emerged that he'd misled the administration about the extent of his conversations with russia's ambassador in washington. tonight, sean spicer, the white house spokesman, told reporters that mr trump was convinced that michael flynn hadn't done anything wrong. the president instinctively thought michael flynn did not do anything wrong. it is not ordinary for an incoming national security adviser to speak with his counterparts over theissues to speak with his counterparts over the issues of concern to them. he spoke to over 30 of his counterparts throughout the transition. he was perfectly reasonable to do so. the issue here was the president got to the point where general flynn's relationship was misleading or the possibility he had forgotten critical details of this important conversation had created a critical mass in an unsustainable situation. that is why the president asked for his resignation and he got it. john spicer said he had discussed issues with a russian envoy.

office. >> alysin says possibly, because the facts don't point this is all about michael flynn. the intelligence officials warned the trump white house weeks ago that flynn had discussed sanctions with the russian ambassador before he took office that he might be vulnerable to blackmail. so, who else knew and who decided to do nothing about it? those questions go all the way up to the top, our president, a major shake-up on just day 26 of the trump presidency. we have it all covered. let's begin with joe johns is live at the white house. >> reporter: good morning, chris, just a month into this new administration and back-door communications with russia have already claimed a casualty. general michael flynn was on the job just 24 days, he says, he gave the administration incomplete information. now the question is, who on the transition team perhaps now in the government knew about it? president trump's embattled national security adviser michael flynn stepping down monday night in a fire storm of criticism of misleading vice president mike pence and others about his conversations wi

morning we know that michael flynn is out as national security adviser. we know he talked about sanctions with the russian ambassador and then lied about it or misled or forgot to tell mike pence, and all of that is big news 25 days into the administration, and what is bigger news may be what we do not know. e we don't know if the president knew about the conversations with russia when they happened and we don't know if or why the white house ignored an explicit warning that russia could blackmail his aadviser. let's begin with dana bash who is in washington, and there's so much. good morning to you. there's so much to walk through this morning. let's begin with all of the reporting you have on exactly how this all unravelled in the late hours last night. >> well, the headline from senior administration officials who i am talking to is that they just realized and the president finally realized the situation was untenable, and they situation they describe as untenable is the idea that either now the former national security adviser did not remember what he said in a ka r conversa

right now. >>> "out front," new details about the fbi questioning michael flynn as we're learning the president of the united states knew for weeks flynn lied act his call to a russian ambassador. why didn't he fire flynn sooner? and more breaking news, the government ethics office telling the white house tonight to investigate kellyanne conway. is conway becoming too much of a distraction? and undocumented immigrants now going to churches for refuge, living in fear. let's go "out front." >>> good evening. i'm erin burnett. "out front," breaking news. we now know the fbi interviewed general michael flynn about his russian contacts and tonight the big question -- what did the president know and when did he know it about his national security advisor? press secretary sean spicer today telling reporters something very important. he says the president first learned about flynn's lie nearly three weeks ago. >> they didn't notify the white house counsel's office until january 26th. at that time there was an immediate -- the president was immediately informed of that. and asked the white hou

lieutenant general michael flynn the news comes four days after general flynn may have discussed easing sanctions against russia before he spoke to the ambassador before trump was inaugurated. we learned from two trump senior source he the justice department had informed the white house late last month that it believed general flynn could be subject to blackmail by the russian government. in a statement released tonight general flynn said, quote, unfortunately because of the fast pace of events i inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with the incomplete -- 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. throughout my over 33 years of honorable military service and my tenure as the national security advisor, i have always performed my duties with the utmost of integrity and hahn at this so those i have served to include the president of the united states. i am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the americ

michael flynn's desk? >> no. absolutely not. it was the michael cohen idea. he mentioned his name at meetings. he said michael flynn, his personal opinion is a powerful man and he is the man to help you and provide us information to the president. >> reporter: now felix says he was at the dinner. the peace was discussed and mr. cohen said he would consider this an issue for michael flynn. that contradicts michael cohen. he was at the dinner and they didn't discuss peace and said it never got near them. we do see here is a public perception in the world of the trump white house, if you know somebody from his business past, you may be able to freelance the peace initiative. some welcome and anything, frankly, could bring peace, but others say that could be destroyed as the broader established state department dealing with complex issues like war. >> thank you.

>>> breaking overnight. michael flynn has resigned as national security adviser. the news came just hours after it was learned the justice department warned the white house that flynn could be vulnerable to black mail. >>> plus, the senate confirms two more of president trump's cabinet picks as the battle to fill the cabinet continues. >>> evacuation orders remain in effect this morning for 200,000 people living near california's oroville dam. they're racing to get as much water out of the dam before a new storm hits. >>> a very good morning to all of you. it is tuesday, february 14th. i'm alex witt along said eamon mohyeldin. >>> this morning national security adviser michael flynn has resigned his post. his departure comes amid discussions that he discussed easing sanctions with a russian ambassador and misled the vice president and other senior administration officials about the nature of his conversations. in a resignation letter flynn wrote, in part, unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events i inadvertently briefed the vice press elect and others with incomplete informa

jeff sessions. back to you. >> all right, joe, thank you very much. so, michael flynn's departure raises as many questions as it answers. it comes alt a critical moment. the first foreign test for the administration after north korea's launch of a blalistic missile. and the travel ban the president says is needed to protect national security. ryan brown live in washington with more. they have to start with a permanent replacement. >> reporter: that's right, chris. senior administration officials are telling us there's a review under way to see who might take the job. right now in an acting role, we see retired lieutenant general keith kellogg has stepped up. he was the chief of staff to the nsc. he was there. kellogg is a long-time retired military officer, he had 36 years in the military. as we said he's the acting national security adviser currently. he was one of the earliest senior military officials to back trump. there's a loyalty factor as well. some other names we're hearing, general david petraeus, highest amongst them. of course, the former cia director, led military off

lieutenant general michael flynn has resigned. the news comes four days after general flynn may have discussed easing sanctions against russia before he spoke to the ambassador before trump was inaugurated. we learned from two trump senior source he the justice department had informed the white house late last month that it believed general flynn could be subject to blackmail by the russian government. in a statement released tonight general flynn said, quote, unfortunately because of the fast pace of events i inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with the incomplete -- 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. throughout my over 33 years of honorable military service and my tenure as the national security advisor, i have always performed my duties with the utmost of integrity and hahn at this so those i have served to include the president of the united states. i am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nati

leading up to the resignation of national security advisor, michael flynn. spicer says that flynn ultimately lost the president's trust and that he was forced to resign. spicer saying ut legal office of the white house determined nothing in flynn's conversation with the russian ambassador was wrong or illegal, but spicer saying it ultimately was flynn's communication with the administration that marked his down fall. >> this was an act of trust. whether or not he actually misled the vice president was the issue. and that was ultimately what led to the president asking for and accepting the resignation of general flynn. that's it, pure and simple. it was a matter of trust. >> spicer would not commit to declassifying or releasing the transcripts from those phone calls. also inassisting whatever discussion about the russian sanctions that took place between flynn and the ambassador was not done he said at the behest of donald trump. also denying flynn had contacts with the russian government before the election, and of course, shadowing -- overshadowing all of this, the conflicting m

that has been gripping the headlines: national security adviser michael flynn has apologised for his discussions with russian diplomats before the inauguration. our north america editor jon sopel reports. announcer: the president of the united states and the prime minister of canada. this is the neighbour just dropping by. but were there ever two elected leaders so different in style and substance than donald trump and justin trudeau? both men were on their best behaviour, because on one particular issue they are thousands of miles apart — and that is whether to allow those fleeing persecution into the country. on the day after president trump signed his controversial executive order banning refugees and travellers from seven mainly—muslim countries, justin trudeau tweeted this: "to those fleeing persecution, terror and war, canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. diversity is our strength. welcome to canada." so how would they deal with this obvious policy difference at theirjoint news conference? we cannot let the wrong people in, and i will not allow that to

. regarding now resigned general michael flynn. it was revealed the department of justice warned the administration late last month that flynn could be blackmailed by the russians. he originally denied speaking about sanctions with russia and then yes, indeed discussions were held. he apologized for giving quote unquote incomplete information to the vice president and to others. so moments ago you had sean spicer saying flynn's quitting was not a legal issue, it was a trust here. here he was. >> the issue isn't whether or not what he discussed. there's been a complete legal review of that and there's no issue of that. the issue is whether or not he failed to properly inform the vice president or not remember it but that's the simple issue, when he lost trust that's when the president asked for the resignation. >> we go to sara marie. >> the president found out about this 19 days ago, tell me about that. >> that's right, we know that donald trump essentially fired his national security adviser last night asking for his resignation and accepting it, but one of the big lingering questio

? >>> president trump praises the national security advisor he fired, calling general michael flynn a wonderful man just a day after the white house says the president had lost trust in flynn and then fired him. mr. trump blasting the leaks about flynn as criminal. does he deny whether they're true? >>> and one-state, two-state, the president backs away from long-standing american mid east policy, saying he won't insist that a separate palestinian state as part of a peace agreement with israel. but he does urge israel's prime minister to hold back onset almighty construction. will benjamin netanyahu list snen i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. >> we're following breaking news. multiple sources tell cnn that high-level advisors and president trump were in constant contact with russian official during the presidential campaign. that includes general nike l flynn fired from his job as national security advisor by the president. but today mr. trump was praising flynn, lashing out against leaks that led to his downfall. the president

advisor michael flynn. being national security advisor is a hard job. there have been a bunch of scandals surrounding the national security advisor position or the person holding that position over the decades. it's thought of one of those jobs that's hard to hold on to for a long time. a lot of turnover in that job. previous record for the shortest term ever as national security advisor, though, was somhing like two and a half years. that was the previous shorst term ever. michael flynn lasted 24 days. and there are a number of things about the nicer's sudden departure last night which make no sense. we've got adam schiff, the top democrat on the intelligence committee to help us sort this out. we have time weiner, the foremost modern historian of the fbi and the cia. time weiner will be here to help us sort this out. but there are just some baseline fundamental questions we don't have an answer for. or that we have answers for that make no sense. first there's the direct simple question of mike flynn and how he got to be national security advisor. how he lasted 24 days at that

michael flynn. he said, in the course of my duties as the incoming national security adviser, i held numerous phone calls from foreign counterparts. he said he did this with the russian ambassador to ensure a smooth transition. he said, unfortunately because of the fast pace of events, i briefed the vice president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the russian ambassador. i sincerely apologize to the president and vice president, and they have accepted my apology. that's where the rubber met the road, giving vice president pence information that was not accurate. >> yeah, don, i think that's the straw that broke the camel's back, if folks will pardon the late-night cliches. essentially what happened here, the incoming national security adviser before this administration came into office, the incoming national security adviser gave bad information to the vice president elect, who went on national television and vouched for the national security adviser about this phone call between michael flynn and the russian ambassador about whether or not, y

. we're following the breaking news this hour, the resignation of national security adviser michael flynn. he stepped down on monday after allegations that he inappropriately discussed u.s. sanctions on moscow with russia's ambassador. and just monday, cnn learning the justice department, warned the white house in january that flynn might be open for blackmail by russia. in his resignation letter, flynn said, quote, unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, ip inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others, with incomplete information regarding my phone calls to the russian ambassador. i have sincerely apologized to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology. i spoke with jim acosta. jim, i suppose his position had been untenable or growing that way. wasn't this sort of accusation of potential blackmail that was the turning point? or was it that he misled mike pence, the vice president? >> i think that revelation that the justice department had warned the trump administration a month ago, michael. that was certainly a turning point in all of th

on, one second. >>> top of the hour, michael flynn has resigned tonight. this is cnn tonight i'm don lemon, thank you so much for joining us this evening. the justice department had also warned that flynn was potentially vulnerable to blackmail by the russians, we have -- i want to get right to our senior diplomatic correspondent michelle kosinski is here. i believe we have alice stewart who is standing by, who is also getting information from our sources within the administration. gloria borger is helping to break this news for us. general flynn resigned tonight. >> there was a flood of information coming in, and the president i was told by one source is very loyal to the people who have been loyal to him, and you'll recall that flynn was very loyal to him. and that i was told it was this "flood of information" that was coming in, that in the end the dam burst, and the president had no choice. >> gloria i hate to interrupt you, you know how much i love you, i have to get to jim acosta, he has some breaking news on this. stand by gloria. jim, what do you have for us? >> yeah, don, i

>>> happening now, broken trust. the white house says president trump asked for michael flynn's resignation after he lost confidence in his national security adviser. tonight, members of both parties are demanding investigations into flynn's contacts with russia, his misleading statements and president trump's response. >>> 18 days. the white house confirms the president was warned nearly three weeks ago that flynn wasn't telling the truth. what changed between then and now. and why was flynn allowed to stay on the job? >>> russian provocation. moscow deploys spy ships and missiles even as u.s. relations with the kremlin are under scrutiny. is vladimir putin trying to test president trump in new ways tonight? >>> and inside north korea. we have a live report from kim jong-un's capital as his regime makes new advances toward producing a nuclear weapon that could strike the u.s. we want to welcome our viewers in the united statess a and aro the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >>> this is cnn breaking news. >> breaking news tonight. growing momentum for new investigati

." reporting from washington, i am jane o'brien. how much to the white house know and when? michael flynn's departure as national security advisor raises more questions than answers . the half-brother of north korea's leader murdered at a malaysian airport. and all aboard for a train ride not seen for half a century good century. how a regular steam service has returned to the u.k. bringing , bringing back memories of yesteryear. jane: welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe. the big question tonight is how much president donald trump knew about his top security adviser's dealings with moscow and when. democratic lawmakers are demanding answers after michael flynn resigned less than a month into the job amid allegations that he misled the public and lied to white house officials. north america editor jon sopel starts our coverage. jon: they were oh so close, politically inseparable. after three weeks as national security advisor, michael flynn has gone in a stunning fall from grace after a day of chaos and confusion at the white house. the camera-loving president s

> let ' get started here. ' the first casualty of grthe trup white house, michael flynn. so what's next and will moreill document nose start to fall.art we haveto it on the run down on the side of your screen. it's woo we're talking about tonight at 5@6:30. if you can tweet us, do so use the hashtag 5 at 6. 30. the story broke last night, talking about it all dayday tonight. it is a stunning fall forall general michael flynn. who will take his place and what signal does that resignation send? >> covering every angle of this story tonight. first let's catch you up to speed. the president asked for michael flynn's resignation late last came amid reports that flynnat f spoke to the russian ambassador about sanctions. in his resignation letter flynn admitted to having several conversations back in september. today flynn lied about theut t content of the phone calls to members of the trump team, including vice-president mikeg i pence much there's stilcel a lot unfolding with this story. let's bring in juan williams.lim he's live tonight to break iteak down for us. mike flynn and that se

security advisor michael flynn to resign. his faith in flynn lost after learning he misled the vice-president about discussing sanctions with a russian official. could flynn face charges? unanswered questions. we now know the white house was warned by the justice department about flynn last month, but as recently as friday the president said he was unaware of the controversy. when did he first find out? >>> calls for investigations. key republican senators join democrats demanding a probe of the flynn scandal as well as the president's public discussion of north korea in a restaurant at his florida resort. and now top aide kellyanne conway may face an ethics probe. could more white house jobs be on the line? and un expected death. half brother of north korea dictator dies suddenly overseas, reportedly under mysterious circumstances. was he assassinated? i'm would half blitzer. you're in "the situation room." >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. >> we're following breaking news. new revelations about fired white house national security advisor michael flynn. a white house officia

manager paul manafort and michael flynn. manafort joined the campaign and was then out. flynn stayed on and resigned as trump's national security adviser last night. officials emphasize that communications between campaign staff and representatives of foreign governments are not unusual. but these stood out due to the frequency and level of those involved. adding to u.s. investigators' concerns were intercepted communications between russian officials before and after the election discussing their belief they had special access to trump. now it's unclear whether they were exaggerating that claim or not, but this all came at a time when the u.s. intelligence community was growing in confidence that russians were trying to tilt the election in donald trump's favor. this investigation, still very much under way, and the fin the the intelligence community. pamela brown, cnn, washington. >> let's get more on this. joining me now, former cnn moscow chief jill doherty. as we heard there from that pamela brown report, trump advisers were in frequent communication with russian operatives duri

former national security adviser michael flynn. >> the president defending the man calling him wonderful and saying flynn was treated unfairly by the media. there's another high profile exit from mr. trump's cabinet. all this as the president is breaking with decades of u.s. foreign policy on the middle east. we are in day 28 of the trump presidency. let's begin with joe johns. he is live at the white house. good morning, joe. >> good morning, allison. so much has happened. they're looking for a new labor secretary this morning as well as looking to settle on the name of a new national security adviser. it's been a brutal week for this new administration and it's not over yet. >> general flynn is a wonderful man. i think he has been very, very unfairly by the media, as i call it the fake media in many cases. >> president trump defending the man he just fired. national security adviser michael flynn and slamming the intelligence leaks that exposed flynn's lies about his communication with a russian ambassador. >> it's very, very unfair what happened to general flynn the way he was treated

swamp is hitting back. the administration under attack from all side in d.c. after michael flynn's resignation. now we have democrats and top republicans demanding investigations into alleged links between the white house and russia and whether those links influenced the election. the president tweeted out, this russian connection is nonsense. he's saying there is fake news going on, there is blind hatred in the news media. he just said that moments ago. now andy puzder withdrawing his name after republican pushback. is the d.c. swamp fighting back? >> the d.c. swamp is rising up, colluding and viciously fighting to take down the 45th president. impeachment of the president is the end goal for the left. facts, truth don't matter. mike flynn is a small as cute of that bigger plan. the left is trying to make what happened here into the next water gate. you have to remember these are the same liberals who fiercely defended hillary clinton. liz: another writer said a top intelligence member on the committee said this is a plan to push everybody out, including the president. first it's michael flyn

up. a lot more chat about president trump, michael flynn, jerusalem etc. now it's time for about president trump, michael flynn, jerusalem etc. now it's time for the about president trump, michael flynn, jerusalem etc. now it's time for the weather. about president trump, michael flynn, jerusalem etc. now it's time for the weather. most about president trump, michael flynn, jerusalem etc. now it's time for the weather. most places about president trump, michael flynn, jerusalem etc. now it's time for the weather. most places become dry overnight, quite a transformation in the midlands, where it is chucking it down. that rain will move into the north sea in the next few hours. after midnight, some rain fading into western scotland. heaviest to the north of glasgow. accompanied by strong winds. few fog patches in england. most will start thursday frost free. fog will be slow to clear. england and wales mainly dry. the odd passing shower. northern ireland, with rain coming in later in the afternoon. the rain in northern and western scotland easing with the wind. brighter breaks deve

strategist as his new national security adviser. after the michael flynn debacle will h.r. mcmaster bring stability and straight do you think in inner circle. russia opens um -- and the vice-president talks about getting false information and digging into information with moscow warning that any and all information must be preserved and protected. last night in sweden, president trump con found and confuses by referencing a remark that never happened. tonight the sweeds are fuming that the commander in chief is making false claims. and the widespread about illegal voting is now being disputed by a former source. corey lewandowski says he's in a position to know what happened and didn't happen in new hampshire. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i mean wolf blitzer. you're in the "the situation room." >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. >>> we're following breaking news. president trump fills a gaping hole if his national security team naming respected arm lieutenant general h.r. mcmaster as his new national security adviser. mcmaster takin

. specifically talking about the conversations that took place between michael flynn and the russian ambassador in december. that is acknowledged. they are saying sanctions did not come up. they further denied the sanctions had anything to do with vladimir putin's response to president obama's last round of sanctions in the final weeks of his administration which he expelled 35 russian diplomats. you may remember, over allegations over russian hacking in the process. the allegation was that putin's response was the result of the conversations between flynn and the russian ambassador to the united states. they have been asked what they think about whether michael flynn is going to keep his post as national security advisor. again, the kremlin playing a cautious line on this. saying they don't want to get involved in current conversat n conversations that are taking place in the united states. they are not exactly throwing michael flynn under the bus. not helping either. >> all right. matthew chance, thank you. fascinating to watch developments. >> let's bring in political reporter eug

the president say you're fired. michael flynn under siege. kellyanne conway says flynn has the full confidence of the president. one official claims the knives are out. and according to sean spicer, president trump is evaluating the situation. the president says chief of staff reince priebus is doing a great job. that's after a member of trump's inner circle chris ruddy questions whether priebus is up to the job. chris ruddy is here tonight, we'll talk to him about that, plus, what's wrong with this picture? president trump confers with aids right in the middle of saturday night dinner on the patio at mar-a-lago. the white house says it was all about logistics for a press conference. but was there more going on? there's a whole lot to discuss tonight, and the plot is thickening. as the president left the oval office tonight, he was asked about flynn. >> do you have confidence in flynn. >> what will you be evaluating -- >> you can see the president smile but didn't answer as he walked out. let's discuss this and much much more. cnn's jim acosta and david gergen. we have new reporting

>>> michael flynn accused of not telling the vice president about his contacts with russia. now we're warned he could be a target for blackmail. the question already being asked tonight what did the president know and when did he know it? and how many people in the trump white house have known about it the whole time? >>> also how a threat with north korea played out between courses as diners looked on at the leaders of the u.s. and japan right there in the restaurant of the mar-a-lago. "the 11th hour" begins now. good evening once again from our headquarters here in new york as we start yet another new week. mondays are difficult around here because there is so much each weekend to get our arms around, and this just the fourth monday of this young trump presidency is proving especially difficult as there are stories on the move right now as we speak. let's start from here. tonight the "washington post" was first to report that nbc news has confirmed back in january the justice department told the trump white house early on that the then-acting attorney general sally yates belie

several times in the briefing that general michael flynn was asked to resign over an issue of trust. and also saying the real story is the leaks. we'll see if that holds. hello everyone. i'm melissa francis. it is the first casualty less than a month in. here is spicer laying out why flynn resigned. >> the president must have complete and unwaivering trust for the person in that position. the evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for general flynn's resignation. the white house counsel reviewed and determined there is not an illegal issue but rather a trust issue. >> let's go live to chief white house correspondent john roberts. so i guess we heard what the white house is saying about this now. what was the reaction like in the room? >> reporter: obviously sandra lot of people had lot of questions. most dealt with this idea of when did the president know, what did the president know, when did he know it? certainly democrats like elijah coummings have said that. they smell blood

notably the national security advisor michael flynn. we'll take a closer look at all the troubles facing flynn and other key members of the president's inner circle. that's coming up. let's get more on all of this, where, first, from our reporters. our white house correspondent sarah murray, who is joining us. our justice correspondent pamela brown is with us. our pentagon correspondent barbara star. sarah, let's -- give us a preview, first of all, of the major issues president trump, prime minister trudeau will be discussing. they're meeting in the oval office. they'll be having an extended conference before in about one hour they go into the east room for their news conference. >> that's right. they've already sort of started in this roundtable meeting, and it gives you an indication of how these two leaders are trying to find common ground. prime minister trudeau is really seen as a liberal icon, and he got along well with president obama on a number of issues. obviously with president trump we're on different footing. we know they disagree on things like syrian refugees, but t

national security adviser michael flynn. what did the president know about his contact with russian officials and the growing calls from lawmakers for a full investigation. >>> assassinated. the half brother of kim jong-un killed with a poison spray. the two women police are look for now. >>> the sentimental favorite at the westminster dog show gets best in show. we will show you the results. all about rumor. >>> and we do say good wednesday morning and it is a busy one. we'll start with the breaking news and it is potentially huge. the biggest crisis the trump administration has yet to face. >> we learned trump aides were in contact with suspected russian intelligence officials during last year's campaign. "the new york times" says there was, quote, repeated contact in the year before the election, but it adds there is no evidence that trump aides and russians actually cooperated to influence the election. >> and about 12 hours before news of those contacts with the russians broke, there was this exchange between abc's jonathan karl and the white house press secretary. it's critica

advisor. a source tells fox news that general michael flynn had to apologize to the president of the united states over his contact with the russians. as for talk that flynn could find himself out of a job? the word from that source inside the white house says not so fast. north korea testing the west with another brand new missile launch with new capabilities. if the country's claims are correct, this represents a dramatic step forward in technology and new danger for the rest of the world. so what is the plan from the pentagon? let's get to it. good afternoon. a world of politics and white ho house intrigue in a few minutes. major news right now. an extreme emergency in the state of california. we're waiting for a news conference to begin from officials about an hour north of sacramento where 188,000 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes. the problem is serious. there it is. that is the largest dam in america. it's threatening to unleach flood waters on a vast area. officials say the oroville dam's main spillway eroded during heavy rain last week. the dam itself is e

given today. on january 28th, michael flynn was in the room when the president called russian president vladimir putin. michael flynn came into the white house briefing room and communicated for the administration to another nation state. >> iran is now feeling emboldened. as of today we are officially putting iran on notice. thank you. >> then just this past weekend, michael flynn was there as the president and japanese prime minister shinzo abe discussed what they would do to respond to a ballistic missile test by north korea. that was just 72 hours ago. so when did the erosion of trust between the president and michael flynn occur? let's bring out our panel members tonight, former chief of staff at the cia and the pentagon, jeremy bash is with us this evening. nbc's katy tur who covered the entire trump campaign from the start, and radio personality charlie sykes. good evening to you all. i'm going to begin with you, jeremy. to believe this story, any of it, all of it, you have to believe that flynn called the russian ambassador and said, in effect, when these new measures

limit the damage following the resignation of michael flynn. new questions are emerging about why key information was kept from the vice president. a very busy morning, good morning to you, welcome to "early start." i'm alison kosik. >> i'm john berman. it's wednesday, 4:00 a.m. in the east. you can't sleep at all. operation of the news developing right now. breaking overnight, surrounding the white house, russia in the eye of the storm, sources tell cnn there was constant communication during the 2016 campaign between russian operatives and top aides to then candidate donald trump. the extensive contact was picked up as part of routine surveillance of russian officials and others. our sources say it drew the attention of law enforcement partly because it came as russia was known to be hacking mostly democratic organizations. now, the new revelations comes as the white house tries to limit the damage following the resignation of michael flynn, after he misled the white house about his own contact with russia during the transition. for the latest, let's bring in cnn's pamela brown in w

him a lot of loyalty. former director of the defence intelligence agency, michael flynn. the republican national convention, flynn gave one of the most red—blooded speeches, criticising hillary clinton. yes, that is right. walk her off. if i did a tenth of what she did, i would be injail today. he hosted conspiracy theories on social media and compared clinton to be al-qaeda militants in iraq and afghanistan. but what finally pushed him out what is too cosy relationship with russia. general flynn lied about his pre—inauguration discussions with the russian ambassador. and then he put the vice president in the awkward position of also lying on national television. never a great way to protect your job. national television. never a great way to protect yourjob. the story of michael flynn suggests confusion in the white house. over the weekend, the president said he knew nothing about it. his top policy adviser declined to say the boss still backed flynn and then hours before he was kicked out, trump councillor kellyanne conway said this... he does it enjoyed a full confiden

trump sacked his national security adviser michael flynn saying he didn't trust him. today he said it was the media who booted him. or does it the intel community? >> michael flynn, general flynn is a wonderful man. i think he's been treated very, very unfairly by the media. as i call it, the fake media in many cases. and i think it's really a sad thing that he was treated so badly. >> again, donald trump is the man that fired flynn, not the media. that's not fake news. it's just news. just yesterday his press secretary sean spicer said flynn was terminated because he misled the vice president about his conversations with the russian ambassador to the united states. today's whackiness comes on a day "the new york times" broke news about russian officials and trump campaign aides last year. according to times report, phone records and intercepted calls show that members of donald trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other trump associates had repeated contacts with senior russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. well, times notes that law enforcement officials

yesterday they were evaluating the situation and last night michael flynn resigns. were you out of the loop on this? >> not at all. both were true. >> trevor: how does she do that with a straight face. kellyanne conway does not concede anything. she's like a character from alice in wonderland. every time she talks, i'm, like, am i on drugs? up is down, down is up? seriously, guys, you can't claim michael flynn had the confidence of the president and had to resign because he didn't have the president's confidence. it doesn't work like that. i feel like this whole trump administration is about having it both ways and you can't. think about it. every single scandal they have. they talk about the inauguration. they go, oh, it was the highest attendance of all time and people also didn't come because it was raining. the muhamad ban, oh -- the muslim ban, we're not anti-musms, we're just doing what obama did.

was a problem with michael flynn weeks before the resignation of the national security adviser. on patrol in the artic circle — nato border guards remain on high alert as russia is accused of flexing its military muscle. i'm aaron heslehurst. in business. more, you want more?! the imf says greece needs more money but europe says it's had enough, as it sends in its top man to try and break the deadlock over debt. and up, up and away, as india breaks a world record and shoots 104 satellites in one go into space. we're going to look at how that country is becoming a serious player in the space race. south korea has confirmed reports that kim jong—nam, the half—brother of the north korean leader, kim jong—un, was murdered in malaysia on monday. a spokesman for the south korean unification ministry has told reporters his government is certain the dead man is kimjong—nam. police in malaysia say he was attacked at kuala lumpur‘s international airport and died on his way to hospital after complaining a liquid had been splashed onto his face. rupert wingfield—hayes reports. th

at the white house as officials admit president trump knew there was a problem with michael flynn weeks before his resignation. a special report from the central african republic as rival militias drive the country towards anarchy and the un warns of a potential genocide. and going home, more than 200,000 people, evacuated from the area around america's tallest dam are told it's now safe. hello. the estranged half—brother of the north korean leader has been killed — apparently assassinated — in malaysia. kimjong nam was at kuala lumpur airport, about to catch a flight to macao, where he's been living in exile. some south korean media outlets are saying he was poisoned, authorities there say he was definitely murdered. on his way to hospital, as he was dying, he told police he'd been grabbed from behind and had liquid splashed in his face. rupert wingfield—hayes has the story. this is kim jong—nam, whose body is thought to be the one now lying in a malaysian morgue. officials there say he died after being sprayed in the face with something at kuala lumpur airport this morning.

michael flynn that's never claimed he has done anything wrong. all this as the cloud of russia hangs over the trump administration. this is the 27th day of the presidency. let's begin our coverage with jim live in washington. you're on of the of this story an the facts don't follow what's coming out of the white house. >> no question, chris. these are the two headlines from our reporting this morning. what alarmed u.s. intelligence and law enforcement officials, one, the frequency of contact described to us as constant communication between the trump campaign and russian officials during the campaign, this is last summer in the midst of russian interference in the election, that timing important and two, how high level the trump advise sors were. very close proximity to the president. the highest and the most senior advisors. both raising red flags with u.s. investigators. >> multiple sources tell cnn that senior advisors to donald trump were in constant communication with russian officials during the 2016 campaign they include paul manifort and michael flynn. they were both breeiefed on