May. 18, 2017, 3:03 p.m.
In the early morning hours Thursday, President Trump tweeted an accusation:
"This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!"
"This" being the appointment of a special counsel to the Russia investigation that has vexed his presidency from the near-beginning.
May. 18, 2017, 2:32 p.m.
President Trump denied urging former FBI Director James B. Comey to close or back down from the bureau's investigation into Trump's former national security advisor, Michael Flynn.
“No, no, next question,” Trump said when asked by a reporter at a news conference Thursday with Colombia's president, Juan Manual Santos.
Trump last week fired Comey, who was overseeing the FBI investigation into whether anyone associated with Trump's campaign cooperated with Russian intelligence officials in their effort to influence the 2016 presidential election.
May. 18, 2017, 1:11 p.m.
May. 18, 2017, 1:08 p.m.
President Trump is leaning toward tapping Joe Lieberman to head the FBI and could announce his pick before he leaves for the Middle East on Friday, a White House official said.
Lieberman, who was Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore’s running mate in the 2000 campaign, made a favorable impression on Trump during a meeting in the White House on Wednesday, the official said.
Lieberman, who is 75, would be an unusual choice and not just because he has limited experience in law enforcement.
May. 18, 2017, 12:52 p.m.
Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein knew James B. Comey was about to be fired before writing his scathing memo to President Trump about the FBI director, senators said Thursday.
Rosenstein was briefing senators at a closed-door meeting at the Capitol in the aftermath of Comey's firing and his own appointment of a special prosecutor to probe Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaign's possible connection to that interference.
"He knew that Comey was going to be removed prior to writing his memo," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) told reporters after emerging from the session.
May. 18, 2017, 12:08 p.m.
Senior Trump administration officials sought Thursday to dispel concerns that the political scandals swirling around the White House will distract from President Trump's first official trip abroad.
"This trip will convey that America is back," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a news conference at the State Department.
Trump departs Friday on an eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe that the White House hopes will give his administration a chance to reboot after a crippling cascade of problems that came to a head with his abrupt firing of FBI Director James B. Comey.
May. 18, 2017, 11:53 a.m.
It has long been a Mexican talking point.
But on Thursday, it was the top U.S. diplomat who said the root of the deadly drug trafficking crisis killing thousands of people on both sides of the border was American drug habits.
"Americans must confront the reality that we are the market," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. "We Americans must own this problem."
May. 18, 2017, 11:22 a.m.
U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes on forces believed to be loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad in southern Syria on Thursday as a protection measure for U.S. forces based in the region, U.S. officials said.
The airstrikes, in the southern town of Tanf, mark the first time that the U.S. military deliberately hit the regime out of a perceived threat for American troops, which have steadily increased in numbers in recent months throughout Syria.
U.S. commanders became concerned when they saw tanks, bulldozers and other heavy equipment advance into a "de-confliction" zone without authorization near a base where U.S. forces were located, according to the officials, who spoke about the incident after requesting anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
May. 18, 2017, 10:18 a.m.
The Senate Intelligence Committee corrected comments its chairman made early Thursday regarding fired national security advisor Michael Flynn, saying it had not received a response from Flynn's lawyer stating that he would not honor a subpoena for private documents.
Panel Chairman Sen. Richard M. Burr, a Republican from North Carolina, had said earlier Thursday that a lawyer had informed the committee of Flynn's decision to refuse to answer the subpoena.
The committee is one of several on Capitol Hill investigating possible collusion between Russia and President Trump's 2016 campaign.
May. 18, 2017, 10:14 a.m.
A top Utah state lawmaker says that U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz is expected to leave office by the end of June.
Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes said Wednesday in a caucus meeting that the Republican Chaffetz is expected to announce his resignation soon and that it would take effect by June 30.
Chaffetz representatives on Thursday did not return telephone and email messages seeking comment.