--- title: Chaos in Washington description: The White House is reeling with the departure of NSA Mike Flynn and new allegations about Trump associates' contacts with Russian officials. canonical: https://time.com/4671586/chaos-in-washington/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-15T16:00:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:17:14.147Z article:section: Politics og:title: Chaos in Washington og:description: The White House is reeling with the departure of NSA Mike Flynn and new allegations about Trump associates' contacts with Russian officials. og:url: https://time.com/4671586/chaos-in-washington/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt645233f69a095bea/6988ba70097b90af0f9b8eb0/donald-trump5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: Donald Trump participates in a parent-teacher conference listenin og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Chaos in Washington twitter:description: The White House is reeling with the departure of NSA Mike Flynn and new allegations about Trump associates' contacts with Russian officials. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt645233f69a095bea/6988ba70097b90af0f9b8eb0/donald-trump5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Chaos in Washington > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=3df0a70c-db4e-49b6-86f0-1f95828b8141&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In His Words: Donald Trump on Russia [Watch (HLS stream): In His Words: Donald Trump on Russia](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xFwMpNTD.m3u8) (1:52)  _Published 2017-02-15. Trump’s ties with Russia have become the focus of attention after Michael Flynn’s resignation as National Security Advisor_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Feb 15, 2017 4:00 PM UTC by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Feb 15, 2017 4:00 PM UTC The White House is reeling after the departure of NSA Mike Flynn and new allegations about Trump associates’ contacts with Russian government officials during the campaign. The Trump Administration has lost control of the narrative, as past statements of both the President and senior aides appear to have been false. Meanwhile the White House is struggling to rewrite its account of Flynn’s ouster to give the President a stronger role in the situation, with the White House saying Tuesday that Trump asked for Flynn’s resignation—essentially firing him—hours after top aides suggested that Trump was willing to keep him on. There are also new tensions across West Executive Avenue as the Vice President’s office confirmed that Mike Pence only learned of Flynn’s apparent lies to him on Feb. 9 after reading about it in news reports. The President and senior staff had been briefed on the same weeks before, but never reached out to Pence or his team. The chaotic situation is hard to ignore. On Capitol Hill, even Republicans were forced to expand their probe of Russian influence in the election to include Flynn’s contacts—an increase in scope that will place more scrutiny on the President. Lawmakers worry about the impact of the drama on the nation’s standing in the world, let alone Trump’a agenda. Even the military is taking notice. “Our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil. I hope they sort it out soon because we’re a nation at war,” Gen. Tony Thomas, the head of the military’s Special Operations Command, said at a Washington conference Tuesday. Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Wednesday as U.S. officials signaled that Trump is breaking from a decades-long foreign policy push for a two-state solution for Middle East peace. The Trump administration faced two calls for investigation in a single hour Tuesday. And Russia makes increasingly aggressive moves toward the U.S. _Here are your must reads:_ **Must Reads** [Trump Administration Will Not Insist on Two-State Solution in Middle East, White House Official Says ](http://time.com/4671406/trump-administration-two-state-solution/)A break from decades of U.S. policy \[TIME\] [Trump Campaign Aides Had Repeated Contacts With Russian Intelligence ](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/us/politics/russia-intelligence-communications-trump.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news)Officials contradict Trump and White House claims in growing scandal \[New York Times\] [For GOP, a Dimmed Zeal for Investigations in Trump Era ](https://apnews.com/55cc8a16ba154f21b52814fa97fc0f5a/For-GOP,-a-dimmed-zeal-for-investigations-in-Trump-era)Short memories \[Associated Press\] [U.S. Detains Mexican Immigrant in Seattle Covered by Obama Program ](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-arrest-exclusiv-idUSKBN15T307)Key moment for Trump immigration policy \[Reuters\] [Senators From Both Parties Pledge to Deepen Probe of Russia and the 2016 Election ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/top-senate-republican-blunt-says-congress-should-probe-flynn-situation/2017/02/14/8abbcad4-f2d5-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.6ce6a8f539cf)Flynn ouster forces GOP’s hand \[Washington Post\] [Flynn’s Statements to FBI Under Scrutiny ](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/michael-flynn-fbi-russia-trump-235029)Uh oh… \[Politico\] **Sound Off** “The irony of this entire situation is that the president has been incredibly tough on Russia.” — White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Tuesday “He was aware of the situation right after the White House Counsel informed him back in January” —White House Press Secretary on when Trump learned of Flynn’s apparent misstatements to VP Mike Pence **Bits and Bites** [House Oversight Committee Probes Mar-a-Lago Security After North Korea Incident](http://time.com/4671088/mar-a-lago-security-oversight-committee/) \[TIME\] [U.S. Ethics Office Calls on White House to Investigate Kellyanne Conway’s Ivanka Trump Endorsement](http://time.com/4671007/kellyanne-conway-government-ethics-discipline-ivanka-trump/) \[TIME\] [White House: President Trump Fired Michael Flynn](http://time.com/4670930/white-house-president-trump-asked-for-flynns-resignation/) \[TIME\] [White House to Reopen for Public Tours on March 7](http://time.com/4670795/white-house-public-tours-melania-trump/) \[TIME\] [White House posts wrong versions of Trump’s orders on its website](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/14/white-house-posts-wrong-versions-trumps-orders-its-website/97845888/) \[USA Today\] [Russia Deploys Missile, Violating Treaty and Challenging Trump](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/14/world/europe/russia-cruise-missile-arms-control-treaty.html?smid=tw-share) \[New York Times\] [In first under Trump, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. destroyer at close range](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/02/14/in-first-under-trump-russian-jets-buzzed-a-u-s-destroyer-at-close-range/?utm%5Fterm=.3241d3e74c46) \[Washington Post\] [Nancy Pelosi cited a fake Michael Flynn tweet](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/14/nancy-pelosi-cited-a-fake-michael-flynn-tweet-today/?utm%5Fterm=.c54fcc3a12d6) \[Washington Post\] [Sean Spicer isn’t finished](http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/15/politics/sean-spicer-white-house/index.html) \[CNN\] [Puzder’s ex-wife told Oprah he threatened ‘you will pay for this’](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/puzder-oprah-winfrey-labor-235030) \[Politico\] ## Transcript As far as Putin is concerned, I think Putin has been a lot stronger leader for Russia. I mean. he's been a lot stronger than our leader, that I can tell you. [ MUSIC ] Putin says' Trump is great. And Trump not. No no Putin. Now I don't know Putin. Well, we did do 60 minutes together. Now we weren't together but he was on, I was on the same night. We got great ratings by the way. [ MUSIC ] He's running this country and at least he is a leader. You know, unlike what we have in this country . >> But again, he kills journalist that don't agree with him. Well, I think our country does a plenty of killing also, Joe, so you know. I don't think anybody knows it was Russia that broke into the DNC. She's saying Russia, Russia, Russia. But I don't Maybe it was. I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds, okay? [ CROSSTALK ] No idea whether it's Russia, China, or anybody else. I am not quoting myself. She has no idea. I am quoting 17 intelligence. Hillary you have no idea. Do you doubt? Our country has no idea. She doesn't like Putin because Putin has outsmarted her At every step of the way. [ MUSIC ] As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people. Will I get along with him? I have no idea. He's a killer, though. It's very possible I won't. Putin's a killer. A lot of killers, we got a lot of killers. 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