CABINET/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump defended as highly effective his tenure so far in the White House, which has been marked by legal fights, West Wing power struggles, confrontations with U.S. allies, the withdrawal of one of his cabinet nominees, and the firing of his national security adviser after he misled the vice president about his contacts with Russia.
Mr. Trump’s lengthy defense came during a nearly 80-minute news conference, announced unexpectedly Thursday [2-16-17] morning. He has neared one month in office and is already facing tough questions from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill about his administration’s alleged interactions with Russia, and an escalating feud between his White House and U.S. intelligence officials.”
– Carol E. Lee and Damian Paletta, “Trump Defends Himself, Denies Links to Russia,” The Wall Street Journal online, Feb. 16, 2017