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WASHINGTON, D.C. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been elevated to the role of White House press secretary following Sean Spicersresignation on Friday. Sanders has stepped in for Spicer to conduct the

WASHINGTON, D.C. Sean Spicer has resigned as White House press secretary, ending a turbulent six months as the chief spokesman for President Donald Trumps administration. Its been an honor and a

WASHINGTON, D.C. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he does not believe that President Donald Trump or any member of his White House staff has attempted to contact the agency about media coverage in light

WASHINGTON, D.C. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells latest plan to call for a vote to repeal, but not replace Obamacare looked to be dead on Tuesday, after a number of Republican senators

President Donald Trump tweeted in response to news that broke late on Monday that the Senate will focus on repealing the Affordable Care Act, after efforts to find a replacement could not find enough

The daughter of actor parents, Betty Gilpin has wound up channeling the medical profession in recurring roles as Dr. Carrie Roman in Showtime's "Nurse Jackie" and as researcher Nancy Leveau on

CNN is airing what it says is exclusive video from 2013 of Donald Trump attending dinner withAras Agalarov, Emin Agalarov, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. The Agalarovs and Goldstone are key

Erstwhile "pop star" Emin Agalarov finally has what he always had wanted: his moment in the international spotlight. But surely, he never imagined this would be the way his name jumped to the top

The bitterness of the nation's post-election political and cultural divide doomed the revival earlier this year of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" with Arnold Schwarzenegger replacing Donald Trump at

President Donald Trump tweeted in response to an interview his son, Donald Trump Jr., gave to ardent Trump supporter Sean Hannity on Tuesday night. On the Fox News show Hannity, Trump Jr. addressed

TheKnight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and seven Twitter users have sued President Trump and his administration to stop him from blocking users on Twitter. The lawsuit, filed in

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Donald Trump | Variety

"He basically said to me, 'Hey you know, this is, maybe they did it, maybe they didn't do it,'" Scaramucci said of a recent conversation he'd had with the President about alleged Russian interference.

Prior to Trump's inauguration, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an unclassified report showing the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency all concluded the Russian government attempted to influence the election to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Trump.

Scaramucci suggested Trump does not yet accept the conclusion of the intelligence community and questioned the media's pursuit of the story, saying it tarnished Trump's victory in November.

"The mainstream media position on this, that they interfered in the election," Scaramucci said. "It actually in his mind, what are you guys suggesting? You're going to delegitimize his victory?"

Scaramucci said he intended to review the intelligence community's evidence once he had his security clearance and pledged to give Trump his personal thoughts on the conclusions. He said Trump would make up his own mind in time and that if Trump believed Russia was responsible for the 2016 efforts and a threat to future elections, he would act.

"A person that's going to be super, super tough on Russia is President Donald J. Trump," Scaramucci said.

"As the phony Russian Witch Hunt continues, two groups are laughing at this excuse for a lost election taking hold, Democrats and Russians!" he wrote.

In a separate interview earlier on CNN's "State of the Union," Democratic Sen. Al Franken appeared at a loss, responding, "What can you say? It's just bizarre."

"If I said some things about him when I was working from another candidate, Mr. Trump, Mr. President, I apologize for that," Scaramucci said.

He dismissed the scrutiny around his past comments as part of an unfair political purity test, and said it was totally untrue that he was suppressing his own beliefs to get closer to the power and prestige of the White House.

And now that he is in his new job, Scaramucci said it was time for things to change in the White House communications shop.

"There's obviously a communications problem," Scaramucci said.

For one thing, he said in his own opinion -- which he said was not the final decision -- the White House should agree to put press briefings on camera again. For another, he said he would address leaks to the press from within the White House on Monday.

He said he would tell the staff, "If we don't stop the leaks, I'm going to stop you."

Fresh on the job, Scaramucci found himself talking about one of the President's tweets.

Scaramucci said that despite the report and the tweets, Trump was not actually considering pardoning anyone, including himself.

"The President is thinking about pardoning nobody," Scaramucci said. "The President is not going to have to pardon anybody because the Russian thing is a nonsensical thing."

As for a bill that would increase sanctions on Russia and give Congress a check on the administration's authority to offer Russia sanctions relief, Scaramucci said it was still up in the air whether Trump would sign it, should it pass.

"You've got to ask President Trump that," Scaramucci said.

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Scaramucci: Trump still doesn't accept intelligence conclusion on Russia - CNN

Donald Trump Jr.'s legal team is expanding its operation, bringing on D.C.-based attorney and longtime regulatory lawyer Karina Lynch, his team told ABC News.

Lynch also confirmed to ABC News that she is joining the team.

Donald Trump Jr. is one of the people connected to the Trump administration whom the Senate Judiciary Committee has said it wants to interview as part of its investigation into possible Russian involvement in the 2016 election.

Lynch had been at the law firm Williams and Jensen since 2000, and became a principal in 2005, according to the firm's website.

She "concentrates on legislative, regulatory, and oversight issues affecting various sectors of the health care industry and clients with an interest in education and tax policy," her bio says.

Before that, she spent five years on Capitol Hill, serving as counsel to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Government Affairs, which was chaired by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

She had previously served as investigative counsel for Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

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Donald Trump Jr. adds DC-based attorney to legal team - ABC News

Alicia Shepard, Opinion contributor Published 5:17 p.m. ET July 23, 2017 | Updated 6:51 p.m. ET July 23, 2017

Sean Spicer's tenure as White House press secretary got off to a rocky start from Day One. On Trump's first full day in office, he lambasted journalists over coverage of the crowd size at the inauguration. (July 21) AP

Sean Spicer resigns as White House spokesman July 21, 2017.(Photo: Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images)

No tears for poor Sean Spicer, who finally resigned as White House press secretary after a series of humiliations that are too numerous to count.

Hell be fine. Thats how it goes in the Washington bubble or, as some call it, the swamp.

A politician or political operative is caught in a sex scandal, forced to resign over ethics charges, fired for incompetence, convicted of corruption or leaves office in some ignominious fashion and instead of slinking away, they prosper. Agents and bookers come after them with lucrative book deals, speaking engagements and jobs as political pundits on cable news.

Its likely Spicer will be offered all three, and is on his way to becoming a multi-millionaire if he plays his cards right. His biggest decision: Move forward as a Trump booster and apologist or try to regain the integrity and respect he previously held as communications director for the Republican National Committee?

Trump critics failing their own ethics tests

Trump is playing health care games with lives. Where are the grown-ups?

Theres no shame or conflict of interest too big to preclude a lucrative future in Washington.

Republican Newt Gingrich was forced to resign as Speaker of the House in 1998, after being dogged by a long-running ethics problem while in Congress that assured he would not be re-elected as speaker. Gingrich paid a fine of $300,000 and admitted he "engaged in conduct that did not reflect creditably on the House of Representatives." Gingrichs infidelity, while simultaneously demanding President Clinton resign over his affair with an intern, was classic Washington hypocrisy.

But today, Gingrich is a de facto Trump spokesperson appearing on Fox News and quoted often as a kind of minence grise in newspapers. And his wife, Callista Gingrich, the woman he had an affair with for six years while he was Speaker and married, has been appointed ambassador to the Vatican.

Another who has done well is former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, fired by Trump in June 2016 after various controversies that included a misdemeanor battery charge (later dropped) for grabbing a reporters arm. CNN quickly scarfed him up for a paying gig, but that didnt last. Hes now working for the conservative One America News Network and reportedly shopping a book.

Spicer quit after six months and one day because he disagreed vehemently with President Trumps decision to make wealthy hedge fund financier, Anthony Scaramucci, White House communications director. Trump ignored Spicers concerns that Scaramucci would add to an already-chaotic press office, not reduce it.

While Spicer technically resigned, his job has been in jeopardy practically from his first day in the White House. Bookies had odds on chances Spicer would be fired.

Whats astonishing is how long it took for Spicer to resign.

Its difficult to imagine which humiliation Spicer will miss most: Comedian Melissa McCarthy parodying him on NBCs Saturday Night Live, late-night comics ridiculing him, checking his integrity at the White House door or, most embarrassingly, not having authority as chief spokesperson to speak for the president.

Many were stunned to watch Spicers hastily called press briefing the day after the inauguration. He angrily read a statement that some reporters engaged in deliberately false reporting about the number at Trumps swearing in. National Park Service pictures clearly showed more people attended President Obamas 2008 inauguration.

This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration period, said Spicer, in an on-camera meltdown, where he refused to take questions.

This was just the beginning of Spicers dissembling, distorting, exaggerating and avoiding questions altogether. His press briefings got so contentious, and at times, Spicer so tongue-tied, that they became must-watch TV, until the White House pulled the plug three weeks ago, ending the diversion.

Awkward moments between Spicer and the press abounded. Too many times, reporters asked questions that Spicer, as the presidents spokesperson, couldnt answer because he was not in the loop. Further humiliation came June 2, when CNN flashed on the screen: Presidents Spokesman Says He Cant Speak for the President.

One might expect the presidents press spokesperson to be well-briefed on the big news of the day, but that was often not the case. Trump had campaigned vigorously on repealing the Affordable Care Act. When a reporter asked if the president had seen the secret health care bill Senate Republicans were crafting, he replied, I dont know. Spicer also said he didnt know if the president accepted the U.S. intelligence communitys conclusion the Russians had hacked the 2016 election.

POLICING THE USA:Alook atrace, justice, media

To win in Trump era, liberals must first listen to his voters

Trump contradicted Spicer many times, catching him off-guard and again, humiliating him. When Trump fired Comey, Spicer stood before the press, saying Trump made the decision based on a Justice Department recommendation. It was all him, Spicer, said referring to the memos author, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein.

Shortly after Spicers explanation, Trump said in an NBC interview, he had decided he would get rid of Comey regardless of the Justice Department memo. In other words, it was all Trump.

Spicer plans to leave at the end of August, and there will be some measure of relief. No more uncomfortable questions about whether his job is safe. No more parading his lack of credibility or struggling to get his story straight. No more compromising positions. No more half-truths (we hope).No more conflicting timelines. No more dashing behind White House shrubbery to avoid cameras.

He should be able to sleep better as he tries to regain his integrity if indeed thats what he intends to do.

Alicia Shepard is a veteran media writer and a former ombudsman for NPR. Follow her on Twitter@Ombudsman

You can readdiverse opinions from ourBoard of Contributorsand other writers ontheOpinion front page,on Twitter@USATOpinionand in our dailyOpinion newsletter.To submit a letter, comment or column, check oursubmission guidelines.

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Sean Spicer's choice: Boost the Donald Trump brand or rebuild his own? - USA TODAY

President Trump will make a dummy visit to the United Kingdom this year, amid concerns that an official visit from the U.S. president could embarrass Queen Elizabeth, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

The trial visit, which will not include the traditional pomp and circumstance of an official visit, will include talks with Prime Minister Theresa May.

Trump will be invited by to the U.K. for an official visit only if the dummy run is a success, according to the British publication.

The trial trip is reportedly due to concerns that Trumps boisterous and untraditional behavior could embarrass the queen.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

A Guardian report surfaced in June saying Trump had expressed concerns during a phone call with May about protests should he visit, reportedly telling her he did not want to visit unless he had support from the British public.

However, Downing Street and the White House maintained that the visit was still on despite the Guardian report.

The president has tremendous respect for Prime Minister May, a White House spokesman told The Hill at the time.That subject never came up on the call."

The president caused controversy when he criticized Londons Mayor Sadiq Khans response to terror attacks in central London in June.

At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!"

Khan responded in an interview with Channel 4 News, saying, I dont think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for.

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Donald Trump to make test run for UK visit : report - The Hill