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White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday defended the decision to reverse an Obama-era policy of releasing visitor logs, saying the move will put President Donald Trumps administration in line with all except the most recent of its predecessors. He also knocked the Obama administration for what he called a faux attempt at transparency.

When the Trump administration initially announced last Friday that it would not release a log of visitors to the White House, reversing a practice begun by former President Barack Obama, White House communications director Michael Dubke said the move would protect the nations national security interests as well as the privacy of those visiting the Trump administration.

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But on Monday, Spicer characterized the decision as a return to earlier precedent after Obamas White House promised transparency but failed to deliver. He did not bring up the national security explanation.

It's the same policy that every administration had up until the Obama administration, Spicer said. And frankly, the faux attempt that the Obama administration put out, where they would scrub who they didn't want put out, didn't serve anyone well.

During the Obama administration, the White House released logs listing nearly 6 million visitors, a practice that did not prompt any apparent national security concerns. And after Trump spent months campaigning on a pledge to drain the swamp of Washington corruption and heavily criticizing the capitals culture of lobbying and the revolving door between government work and the private sector, his administrations about-face on visitor logs drew heavy criticism from transparency advocates.

Spicer defended the overall White House record on transparency, arguing to reporters that the press pool is given significant access as well as lists of attendees at major meetings. He said the decision not to release visitor logs allows individuals to visit the White House with the same level of privacy as those visiting members of Congress.

The president wants to make sure that people can come, in the same way they can go into members of Congress office, provide information and details, he said. We recognize that there's a privacy aspect to allowing citizens to come express their views.

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Spicer knocks Obama as he defends keeping White House visitor logs private - Politico

A former Obama administration National Security Council staffer, Barry Pavel, slammed the previous president's policies in Syria on Fox News Monday, saying that Obama's inaction led to the unstable situation. He also praised President Donald Trump's April 4 missile strike in Syria.

"I think [Obama] left a more dangerous world," Pavel said. "Potential adversaries know we had the capability, but not the will. Because they knew that the Obama administration would never use military force for any purpose, they felt free to conduct their coercive actions in the South China Seas, the Russians went into Iran and Syria and North Korea accelerated their nuclear arms program."

RELATED: Inside North Korea's secretive missile program

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A missile is carried by a military vehicle during a parade to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of a truce in the 1950-1953 Korean War, at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang July 27, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Lee (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ANNIVERSARY)

Engineers check the base of Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket sitting on a launch pad at the West Sea Satellite Launch Site, during a guided media tour by North Korean authorities in the northwest of Pyongyang April 8, 2012. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY)

A North Korean scientist looks at a monitor showing the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket on a launch pad at the West Sea Satellite Launch Site, at the satellite control centre of the Korean Committee of Space Technology on the outskirts of Pyongyang April 11, 2012. North Korea said on Wednesday it was injecting fuel into a long-range rocket ahead of a launch condemned by its neighbours and the West. The launch is set to take place between Thursday and next Monday and has prompted neighbours such as the Philippines to re-route their air traffic. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A soldier stands guard in front of the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket sitting on a launch pad at the West Sea Satellite Launch Site, during a guided media tour by North Korean authorities in the northwest of Pyongyang April 8, 2012. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

North Korean soldiers salute in a military vehicle carrying a missile during a parade to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of a truce in the 1950-1953 Korean War, at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang July 27, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Lee (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ANNIVERSARY)

Ko Yun-hwa (L), Administrator of Korea Meteorological Administration, points at where seismic waves observed in South Korea came from, during a media briefing at Korea Meteorological Administration in Seoul, South Korea, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A sales assistant watches TV sets broadcasting a news report on North Korea's nuclear test, in Seoul, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Workers construct a new nuclear reactor in the North Korean village of Kumho in this file photo taken August 7, 2002. The United States urged North Korea December 21, 2002 not to restart a nuclear reactor suspected of being used to make weapons-grade plutonium. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that North Korea had disabled surveillance devices the agency had placed at the five-megawatt Nyongbyong reactor. REUTERS/Lee Jae-won/File Photo LJW/RCS/AA

A passenger walks past a television report on North Korea's nuclear test at a railway station in Seoul February 12, 2013. North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Tuesday, South Korea's defence ministry said, after seismic activity measuring 4.9 magnitude was registered by the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicentre of the seismic activity, which was only one km below the Earth's surface, was close to the North's known nuclear test site. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji (SOUTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

A scientist stands beside the Kwangmyongsong-3 application satellite, to be put onto the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket at the West Sea Satellite Launch Site, during a guided media tour by North Korean authorities in the northwest of Pyongyang April 8, 2012. REUTERS/Bobby Yip (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY)

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Pavel said that he suggested being more forceful with rogue leaders like Syrian President Bashar Assad, but Obama did not want to commit hundreds of thousands of troops. In response, Pavel said there was a middle ground between the two options.

Gary Samore, Obama's White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction, also praised Trump's decision.

SEE ALSO: Former POTUS sets internet ablaze, becomes Instagram husband on super yacht

"I applaud Trump," Samore said. "It was the kind of strike that Obama was planning a limited military attack against the airfields in order to deter Assad from carrying out additional chemical weapons attacks, but he decided not to use it. Obama made a huge mistake by saying he was going to go to Congress for authorization, it turned out he did not have the votes.

While Trump's strike on Syria has mostly received bi-partisan support, some lawmakers have criticized the move.

"This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a possible nuclear war between the United States and Russia," Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement . "This administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States' attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning."

Gabbard herself was criticized earlier this year for taking a secret fact-finding mission to Damascus, where she met with Assad.

Republican Senator Rand Paul also criticized Trump's decision, saying that the president needed Congressional authorization for the strike.

More from Business Insider: Sean Spicer just hinted at a potential major shift in US policy toward Syria The White House is scrambling to come up with a cohesive Syria policy as tensions rise with Russia Trump is sending his national security adviser H.R. McMaster to Afghanistan

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Former White House official slams Obama: 'I think he left a more dangerous world' - AOL

When asked in an interview set to air on "Fox & Friends" Tuesday if a pre-emptive military strike is a possibility, as reported last week by NBC News, Trump wouldn't elaborate.

"I dont want to telegraph what Im doing or what Im thinking. Im not like other administrations, where they say were going to do thisin four weeks," Trump told Fox's Ainsley Earhardton Monday during the White House Easter Egg Roll.

"You read Clintons book. and he said, Oh, we made such a great peace deal, and it was a joke," Trump said. "You look at different things over the years with President Obama. Everybody has been outplayed.

Theyve all been outplayed by this gentleman," he continued, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "And well see what happens. I just dont telegraph my moves.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been building over the past weeks, and a senior North Korean official saidMondaythe U.S. has created a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any minute.

[North Korea] is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S., the country's deputy United Nations ambassador, Kim InRyong. saidMondayin Panmunjom, according to The Associated Press.

A missile test by North Korea failed Saturday, the latest in a series of provocations. Trump has said he will pressure China to rein in North Korea's oftentimes unpredictable leader but thatthe U.S. "will solve the problem without them" if need be.

The Trump interview will air during Tuesday's edition of "Fox & Friends" on Fox News starting at6 a.m. Tuesday.

The network says the U.S. relationship with China and the presidents immigration policy will also be discussed.

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Trump: Presidents Obama, Clinton were 'outplayed' by North Korea - The Hill

Former President Barack Obama will attend Dan Rooney's funeral on Tuesday but is not expected to speak at the service, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which cited Obama spokesman Kevin Lewis.

Rooney, the legendary Steelers owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer, served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 2009-12. When Rooney died last week at 84, Obama released a statement calling Rooney "a great friend of mine."

"Dan Rooney was a great friend of mine, but more importantly, he was a great friend to the people of Pittsburgh, a model citizen, and someone who represented the United States with dignity and grace on the world stage. I knew he'd do a wonderful job when I named him as our United States Ambassador to Ireland, but naturally, he surpassed my high expectations, and I know the people of Ireland thank fondly of him today," Obama said, via CBS Pittsburgh. "Michelle and I offer our condolences to the Rooney family, some of the most gracious and thoughtful people we know -- even as we celebrate the life of Dan Rooney; a championship-caliber good man."

When Rooney resigned in 2012, he reflected upon his time as ambassador.

"I have had a lifelong commitment to advancing the relationship between the American and Irish people and building peace on this beautiful island, but came unexpectedly into politics and diplomacy," he wrote in thePost-Gazette."It has been an honor and privilege to represent President Barack Obama and the United States of America as Ambassador to Ireland. President Obama charged me to protect and build the historic and deep friendship between our two countries. I am pleased to say this relationship, that is built on enduring family ties, a common heritage and shared values, is the strongest it has ever been. Ours is not a foreign relationship between two countries; our relationship is a shared kinship between two great peoples."

Before becoming ambassador, Rooney was known for his influential work with the Steelers and the NFL. He began working for the Steelers in the 1950s. In 1975, he became president of the franchise. From 1988-2003, he was the controlling owner. From 2003-17, he was the team's chairman.

The Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for vacant head coaching positions, was named after him. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

After Rooney died, those who knew him reflected on his life. You can see some of their tributes here.

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Barack Obama to attend funeral of legendary Steelers owner Dan Rooney - CBSSports.com

Former U.S. President Barack Obama takes a photo of his wife Michelle as she poses on the top deck of the Rising Sun yacht.

Mike Leyral/AFP/Getty Images

A daily roundup of the biggest stories in right-wing media.

Over the weekend and into Monday, conservative media covered violence between pro- and anti-Trump protests that occurred in Berkeley, California on Saturday. In a typical formulation, LifeZette suggested that leftists had targeted their antagonists on the right. Summing up the scene, that publication wrote:

Breitbart focused on specific acts of violence supposedly perpetrated by leftists against Trump supporters in its article Mayhem in Berkeley: Trump Supporters, Counter-Protesters Clash During Rally. One, the publication wrote, was surrounded by a dozen protesters in black masks who he said attacked him with sticks and pepper spray while another was also bloodied as the melee moved from the park up Center Street toward the UC Berkeley campus.

Gateway Pundit published multiple posts on the violence, variously claiming that one protester insulted a wounded veteran in a wheelchair and alleging that Trump supporters were left to clean up garbage left by Antifa [anti-fascist] thugs who knocked over dumpsters. Media Research Centers Dan Gainor told Breitbart News Daily that the Berkeley disturbance compared unfavorably to Tea Party rallies, which featured a bunch of people showing up, very nice, very polite, neat, cleaning up, and that was it.

A common conspiracy theory, pushed by sites such as Infowars, suggested that the police had largely stayed back as Antifa agitators took pot shots at Donald Trump supporters. Gateway Pundit also wrote that police were no where [sic] in sight, despite reporting to the contrary from other conservative sites.

In The Lefts Embrace of Political Violence Backfires in Berkeley, the Daily Callers Scott Greer held that the violence had been orchestrated by anti-Trump agitators and that it had been a humiliating defeat for them. Connecting the Berkeley conflict to a handful of other incidents, Greer wrote, Now that elements of the Right have shown that they have the capability to defend themselves and drive the opposition, the only result of this embrace of violence is the radicalization of the Lefts enemies.

Many conservative outlets took notice of Barack and Michelle Obamas latest vacation, which found the couple on an enormous yacht owned by David Geffen. Sarcastically suggesting that it was a much needed respite for the couple, Independent Journal Reviewwhich has run into trouble with its past coverage of the Obamas travelspointed out that the former president appeared to have aged considerably during his time in office, despite having played333 rounds of golf during his two terms.

Breitbart noted that the couple had been joined by a group of A-listcelebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, on the yacht. Gateway Pundit offered some additional speculation about the guest list (which reportedly also included Tom Hanks and Bruce Springsteen), wondering whether the all-star crew had been up to something sinister. The question is are all these hardcore Obama supporters just getting together for fun in the sun in Tahiti or are they plotting the next phase of the New American Resistance? the site asked.

On Facebook, meanwhile, the Daily Caller scored a hit with a post characterizing Vice President Mike Pence as a huge badass:

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Today in Conservative Media: What Are Michelle and Barack Obama Plotting Now? - Slate Magazine (blog)