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DC Daily: President Trump deals with fallout over resignation of national security adviser Flynn

Posted at 8:07 AM, Feb 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-14 16:36:45-05

The president looks to move forward following the abrupt resignation of his national security adviser.

What's happening today:

President signs bill undoing oil, gas reporting rule
-- President Donald Trump is promising to create jobs as he signs legislation rolling back a regulation from the Dodd-Frank financial oversight law.

Trump on Tuesday signed legislation striking down a rule that requires oil and gas companies to disclose payments to the U.S. or foreign governments for commercial development.

Trump said the legislation was part of an effort to bring back jobs "big league."

Trump said, "We're bringing them back at the plant level. We're bringing them back at the mine level. The energy jobs are coming back."

GOP senators call for probe into Trump's ties to Russia
-- Sen. John Cornyn, who has called for an investigation into President Trump's tie to Russia before national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned, told reporters Tuesday that the Senate standing committees with oversight of intelligence need to investigate Flynn.

President addresses "illegal leaks" in morning tweet
-- In his first comments since the resignation of his national security adviser, President Trump tweeted a question about "leaks" coming out of Washington.

Trump's national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, resigned because of conversations he had with a Russian diplomat.

Flynn apologized for giving Vice President Mike Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and whether Flynn addressed U.S. sanctions before Trump's inauguration. Doing so breaks diplomatic protocol and potentially the law.

North Korea tested a ballistic missile over the weekend while Trump was at his Florida resort hosting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Conway says Flynn misled VP
-- In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Trump's top aide Kellyanne Conway said the Michael Flynn situation "became unsustainable."

Conway added it was true Trump was "loyal" to Flynn. But, she added, "Misleading the vice president really was the key here."

Ex-WWE exec Linda McMahon tapped to head SBA
-- The Senate confirmed Linda McMahon as the next Small Business Administration secretary. McMahon served as the chief executive officer at World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. before stepping down to run twice for the Senate in Connecticut. She lost both races despite spending some $100 million.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says McMahon will "prioritize growing jobs over growing government bureaucracy" and calls that a welcome change from Washington.

OVERNIGHT: Trump's senior national security adviser resigns
-- White House national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned Monday night, an abrupt end to a brief tenure. His departure came just after reports surfaced the Justice Department warned the Trump administration last month that Flynn misled administration officials regarding his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States and was potentially vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians.

Click here to read Flynn's resignation letter

In the interim, Flynn's role will be retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, an Army veteran who served two tours in Vietnam and one-time National Security Council chief of staff.

Kellogg is the vice president of strategic initiatives at Cubic Corporation, a company based in San Diego.

ICYMI: President's nominees for Treasury Secretary, VA Secretary confirmed
-- On Monday, the Senate confirmed Steven Mnuchin as the new Secretary of the Treasury and David Shulkin as the next Department of Veterans Affairs secretary.

Ivanka Trump's Oval Office pic sparks debate
-- Ivanka Trump is getting a strong reaction online after posting a photo of herself seated at the Oval Office desk while her father, President Donald Trump, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stood on either side of her.

On her social media accounts, she said: "A great discussion with two world leaders about the importance of women having a seat at the table!"