Axios

The story got lost amid the wall-to-wall Michael Flynn coverage, but it hasn't been lost on Republican insiders crafting Russia policy.

The New York Times reports today that administration officials have leaked news that Russia "secretly deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints from American officials that it violates a landmark arms control treaty that helped seal the end of the Cold War."

What Republicans on Capitol Hill are wondering: Republicans have been protesting Russia's violations for a couple of years already; so they're naturally wondering about motive. Was it someone in the Administration who is trying to prevent President Trump's Russia outreach? As one insider pointed out to us, there's no apparent need for urgent action to justify the leak's timing.

"You'll note that the Times says 'Russia now has two battalions'. Two. As in they didn't just rush this out yesterday," the insider added. "Those things take a lot of time to put in place. That's why this story isn't exactly urgent especially when there's really no response we can take."

Why this matters: The Trump Administration is (understandably) rife with paranoia, and the paranoia is seeping out on the Hill and being nourished by the extraordinary series of leaks coming from the intelligence community. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to go to war with Washington. He may have underestimated Washington's powers to fight back.

Trump's recently resigned National Security Advisor Mike Flynn told The Daily Caller before his resignation on Monday that he "crossed no lines" during his conversations with the Russian Ambassador to the U.S.

In an effort to defend himself, Flynn pointed to the government leaks about his December conversation as a factor that led to the media furor. He described them as part of a larger trend of government leaks in this administration.

President Trump apparently agrees:

As does Sean Spicer: "People who are entrusted with national security secrets, classified information, are leaking it out. That's a real concern for this president."

House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz has asked Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus to explain the security measures in place at the president's Palm Beach resort, where Trump has spent the last two weekends, per AP.

Why the timing: Reports circulated early this week of Trump and Japan PM Shinzo Abe discussing the North Korea missile launch while having dinner on a terrace restaurant at Mar-a-Lago — surrounded by resort members.

The details of the request: Chaffetz said he wants to be briefed on what security precautions were taken, what documents were reviewed in common areas and whether any classified information was discussed. He is also asking Priebus to describe how guests, employees and residents at the resort are vetted "in order to ensure that they are not foreign agents or spies on behalf of a foreign government." Chaffetz said he wants the briefing by Feb. 28.

Secret Service director Joseph P. Clancy — who was hired from the private sector in 2014 by President Obama amid a series of security breaches and employee misconduct in the agency — has told the White House that he plans to step down March 4, per Washington Post. His leaving now gives Trump a chance to choose his own head of security.

Potential replacements, per WaPo:

• George Mulligan, the Secret Service's COO, former Pentagon official and White House military office director.
• Former Clinton detail leader Larry Cockell.
• Former assistant director Mickey Nelson.
• Deputy Director William Callahan.

Trump's aggressive immigration actions stand to have a profound impact on the tech industry, as over a third of Silicon Valley's population are immigrants. Undocumented tech workers seem to be keeping a low profile, "because they fear for themselves and their families," said Laura Gomez, a former employee at YouTube and Twitter who now works with diversity and immigration groups, to The Verge.

What's next: Trump is exploring ways to undo Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA), an Obama-era order that protected about 750,000 people from deportation. Now people worry their work permits, approved under DACA, will be used to target them in future raids, Gomez said.

Tech impact: Not only do efforts to crack down on immigrant work permits directly impact Silicon Valley employees and their families, it also makes filling crucial jobs and building a diverse workforce even harder than it already is. For example, it poses threats to several undocumented immigrants who have joined tech organizations like Code2040 that work to help DREAMers get their foot in the door at major tech companies.

Now that Michael Flynn is out, it's time for Trump to pick a new national security adviser. Here are the men that could take his spot, per the WSJ and Washington Post.

1. Keith Kellogg, the NSC's chief of staff who advised Trump during his campaign, is taking on Flynn's duties for now until Trump makes his final decision. Kellogg, who served as a COO in Baghdad for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and later worked as a contractor for Oracle, is also being considered for the permanent position.
2. David Petraeus became CIA director in 2011 but resigned in 2012 after he was found guilty of lying to federal investigators about mishandling government information to his mistress.
3. Retired Adm. Robert Harward served as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees all U.S. forces in the Middle East. He also served on the NSC during George W. Bush's administration and in the National Counterterrorism Center. He's now Lockheed Martin's chief executive in the United Arab Emirates. Both Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly reportedly recommended Harward for the position.

Trump's protectionist stance toward trade could leave the door open for the European Union to strengthen ties with Asia, even if that's not his intention.

The Financial Times takes a look at how Trump's opposition to multilateral trade deals has European leaders looking to strengthen trade relations with Asia. Whereas Trump has pulled out of of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and threatened U.S. companies that move operations overseas, the E.U. has been ramping up its trade deals.

Key quote: "It is not against the U.S. as such, but... [our partners] need clear signals that the whole world is not turning towards protectionism," said Jyrki Katainen, a European Commission vice-president, in an interview with FT.

The Davos legacy: European leaders were further encouraged by the President of China, Xi Jinping's Davos speech, which staunchly supported globalization and free trade. His talk has since spurred discussions about whether the E.U. should work with Beijing to lead the global trading system.

Today, Matt Lauer dug into Kellyanne Conway's new spin on the resignation of Michael Flynn. After she said Flynn had to go because of lying, Lauer reminded her the saga was a month old, and pressed her for more answers:

Matt Lauer to Kellyanne Conway: your explanation of the Flynn resignation "makes no sense" pic.twitter.com/vpIOc10mmh— Axios (@axios) February 14, 2017

Remember: Conway said just yesterday that Flynn had the "full confidence" of Trump.

At 4:06 p.m. yesterday on MSNBC, Kellyanne Conway — Counselor to the President, and someone who authentically has his ear and affection — twice told anchor Steve Kornacki, live from the White House briefing room, that embattled national security adviser Mike Flynn "does enjoy the full confidence of the president — this is a big week for General Flynn."

Well, at least half that was true. An hour later, press secretary Sean Spicer put out a very different statement, resulting in the all-evening headline on CNN: "WHITE HOUSE: TRUMP IS 'EVALUATING' FLYNN SITUATION." How often does that end well?

National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has resigned, saying he "inadvertendly briefed" Mike Pence and others on his phone call with Russia's ambassador.

• Flynn reportedly incensed VP Pence by misleading him about the call, then not fully apologizing, per the NYT.
• Steve Bannon pushed for his resignation since Friday, per the NYT.
• Lt. General Joseph Keith Kellogg, Jr. will be Flynn's temporary replacement. Others in the mix for the permanent job are David Petraeus and Vice Adm. Robert Harward, per WaPo.
• Flynn's problems aren't over, says WaPo: the Army is investigating his 2015 trip to Russia for possible payments, which would violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.

In a company memo, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty responded to employees' concerns about her advisory role to the Trump administration.

Our experience has taught us that engagement—reaching out, listening and having authentic dialogue—is the best path to good outcomes.

She said IBM has engaged with every U.S. president since Woodrow Wilson.

Why it matters: Silicon Valley executives have come out swinging against Trump's travel order and more than 100 tech companies have signed onto an amicus brief opposing it. IBM didn't sign the brief. Rometty has met with Trump twice since the election and sent him an open letter in November with policy recommendations, sparking early criticism. Her memo to employees, obtained by the WSJ, underscores the intense pressure tech employees are putting on their leaders to distance themselves from Trump.

A growing view at the highest levels of the Trump Administration: Mitch McConnell should use the nuclear option at his first opportunity in the process to confirm Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.

A source close to Gorsuch's confirmation, reflecting the view of at least half a dozen others involved in the process, told us it would be terrible if McConnell allowed the Democrats even one failed cloture vote.