Axios

Sergey Kislyak, the former Russian ambassador to the United States, dismissed the notion that he tried to recruit Trump team officials as "nonsense" after CNN caught up with him in Russia.

• On reports Jared Kushner wanted to set up a Russian backchannel: "I've said many times that we do not discuss the substance of our discussions with our American interlocuters. Out of respect to our partners."
• On the Oval Office meeting where Trump disclosed classified intel: "I'm not sure that I heard anything that would be secretive, but it was a good meeting and we were discussing things that are important to your country and to mine."
• On the recently passed sanctions bill: "[It's] basically a statement of being anti-Russian. It's not going to be wished away, it's going to stay and it's going to spoil ability of both countries to resume a normalcy in our relations. And normalcy in our relationship is exactly what is missing."

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper told CNN that he questioned Trump's fitness for office after the President's speech last night in Arizona (highlights here).

Clapper called the speech "downright scary and disturbing," adding, "but again, I think the real Trump came through."

"Having some understanding of the levers of power that are available to a president if he chooses to exercise them, I found this downright scary and disturbing."

The completed West Wing renovation project — undertaken during President Trump's vacation to his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club and New York City — was unveiled today with the spotlight on a revamped Oval Office, per CBS News.

• The Oval Office refresh featured new wallpaper and a rug used by Ronald Reagan, at least until Trump designs his own floor covering, which might necessitate more new wallpaper.
• A White House official on the Oval Office: "[Mr. Trump] wanted to bring back the luster and glory of the White House. The Obama wallpaper was very damaged. There were a lot of stains on it."
• Other revamps: An overhaul of the 27-year-old HVAC system, new carpeting throughout the West Wing, and a whole host of new furnishings that the White House pointed out were all "made in America."

American diplomats in Cuba have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury — and central nervous damage — after an apparent attack with a sonic weapon targeted their homes, per a review of medical records by CBS News.

The State Department hasn't explicitly identified the source of the attack or what person or entity might have carried it out. The Cuban government has denied any involvement with the incident.

Why it matters: The severity of the apparent injuries goes far beyond what was originally reported, so it stands to reason that President Trump's administration might choose to respond strongly given his prior rhetoric on Cuba, especially given that the report notes that the attacks on Americans are continuing.

There are currently more than 12,000 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan — 3,500 of them the Pentagon failed to publicly disclose, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Pentagon has disclosed the 8,400 military members stationed in Afghanistan long-term, but kept hidden the number of troops that are sent to the area on a temporary status. The number of troops from other groups such as special forces are almost always kept secret.

Why it matters: The real total number of troops is important in deciding how many more troops will be sent to the country after President Trump's announcement on Monday night. The new strategy is expected to include sending about 3,900 troops to Afghanistan within the next few weeks, military officials told WSJ.

Go deeper with an Axios graphic showing the number of U.S. troops and private contractors in Afghanistan since 2007, here.

In Trump's new Afghanistan plan, AP's Josh Lederman sees "elements of a broader approach to America's most pressing national security concerns [beginning] to emerge, consistent with his efforts in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere," and drawing "on organizing principles that are also woven throughout his plans for defeating the Islamic State group and containing the threats posed by North Korea and Iran":

• Never tip your hand to the enemy.
• No timelines for military operations.
• Don't micromanage.
• No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.
• Let locals lead.
• Key quote from Trump's Monday speech: "We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists."

Critique ... I ran Josh's article by Vance Serchuk, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, who wrote me back that "Trump as commander-in-chief thus far is a mix of big continuities with Obama and big discontinuities":

Three big continuities:

1. Disavow "nation building" and Bush-like "freedom agenda" ambitions in favor of self-declared "realism."
2. Enable local forces whenever possible to clear and hold territory, supported by special operators and airpower; eschew large U.S. conventional deployments à la the Iraq war.
3. Focus on discrete military objectives — e.g., smashing ISIS in Iraq/Syria, just as Obama smashed AQ core in Pakistan. Trump's impulse, like Obama's, is to want to get the job done so we can come home.

Three big discontinuities:

1. Devolve much greater discretion over decision-making on troops, tactics, operations to DoD / Mattis.
2. Reject time tables / deadlines as an instrument of policy.
3. Cultivate a bit of a madman image — with the national security team portrayed as holding him back from his wilder impulses. If Obama had faith in the power of reason, Trump believes in the value of fear.

Go deeper ... Vance Serchuk's new Wall Street Journal op-ed, "Trump Learns From America's Failures in Afghanistan: By focusing on getting out of the country, Bush and Obama fostered conditions that forced us to stay."

MSNBC's Morning Joe has the first batch of excerpts from "What Happened," Hillary Clinton's forthcoming memoir on the 2016 presidential election, which feature her reflecting why she wrote the book and on President Trump's intimidation tactics that made her "skin [crawl]" during their second, town hall-style debate.

Her reason for writing: "I want to pull back the curtain on an experience that was exhilarating, joyful, infuriating, and just plain humbling. Every day I was a candidate for president, I knew that millions of people were counting on me. And I couldn't bear the idea of letting them down. But I did. I couldn't get the job done. And I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life."

Her question to America during the second debate: "Well, what would you do? Do you stay calm, keep smiling and carry on as if he weren't repeatedly invading your space? Or do you turn, look him in the eye and say loudly and clearly: 'Back up you creep, get away from me. I know you love to intimidate women, but you can't intimidate me, so back up.'"

Top Arizona Republicans won't be attending Trump's first rally since Charlottesville tonight, VICE News reports. The expected absences: Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (though he greeted Trump upon his arrival), Arizona's state Republican party Chair Jonathan Lines, Sen. Jeff Flake, who's been one of Trump's most vocal critics recently, and Sen. John McCain.

Why it matters:

• Arizona swung for Trump in the presidential election, so presumably Republicans would be there for him.
• But this comes at a time when Republicans aren't willing to back Trump in the fallout after Charlottesville.
• Brian Stelter reports Shep Smith couldn't get a single Republican to defend Trump on Fox News, MSNBC's Chuck Todd tried all 52 Republican senators, and none would come on the show, and CNN's Kate Bolduan said only one out of 55 Republicans said yes.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Air Force One en route Arizona that "there will be no discussion" about pardoning former sheriff Joe Arpaio today and "no action will be taken on that front at any point today," per a pool report.

Why it matters: There's been talk that Trump might pardon Arpaio after his conviction of criminal contempt of court for disobeying a 2011 court order to stop detaining people based on his suspicions they were undocumented immigrants.

Arpaio then told VICE News: ""He didn't say he's not going to do it" ... "He said tonight."

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told CNN today that she had a "personal conversation" with President Trump about how he handled the fallout from Charlottesville, per Politico.

"Well, I had a personal conversation with the president about Charlottesville, and I will leave it at that," Haley said on CNN. "But I will tell you that there is no room for hate in this country. I know the pain that hate can cause, and we need to isolate haters, and we need to make sure that they know there is no place for them."

On "Good Morning America," Haley brought up her conversation with Trump again, adding that her message was "taken very well." As for whether Trump believes he was in the wrong with his response? "The president clarified so that no one can question that he's opposed to bigotry and hate in this country," said Haley.

Chelsea Clinton defended fellow first child, Barron Trump, on Twitter Monday after a Daily Caller reporter criticized the 11-year-old for his casual attire.

• The critique: "The youngest Trump doesn't have any responsibilities as the president's son, but the least he could do is dress the part when he steps out in public," entertainment reporter Ford Springer wrote in the Daily Caller.
• Clinton's kickback: "It's high time the media & everyone leave Barron Trump alone & let him have the private childhood he deserves" she tweeted, linking to the story.
• Why it matters: Clinton, who has otherwise been known to rail against Trump and his administration on social media, has come to Barron's defense on several occasions. Twice she's tweeted that Barron deserves the right and the privacy to be a kid.

The U.S. Treasury has unveiled sanctions targeting Chinese and Russian entities doing business with North Korea, which is intended to add pressure to the North to soften its nuclear program. North Korea's number one trading partner is China, and most of the sanctions target Chinese companies, per The Washington Post.

Why it matters: This comes the same week as the U.S. and South Korea are conducting military exercises that China, Russia, and North Korea have all been opposed to, given that it looks like the U.S. is escalating its threat to the North — making an already tense week that much more precarious.

The sanctions target 10 entities and 6 individuals that help those who are already sanctioned who support North Korea's missile program or assist the country with its energy needs. It also targets people who help North Korea's export of workers, per CNBC.

The Cipher Brief got reactions to President Trump's speech on Afghanistan from top former national security officials — including former acting CIA director John McLaughlin, former Army vice chief of staff Gen. Jack Keane, former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden, and former acting CIA director Michael J. Morrell.

All are worth reading in full for their diversity of opinions, but here are three major takeaways across the interviews:

• Trump sounded and acted presidential, which all four officials agreed was vital to delivering this speech effectively.
• There was no outlined timetable for withdrawal — a departure from Obama-era policies that was seen as a positive and necessary step.
• Trump's call to have India more involved in Afghanistan was the biggest news, but it could have a potentially destabilizing effect with the United States' relationship with Pakistan.

President Trump chose normal over instinct when he yielded to his generals on Afghanistan policy, providing yet another reminder of the frequent disconnect between what he says and what he does.

In a highly symbolic decision unfurled in his first prime-time policy address, Trump sided with SecDef Jim Mattis in approving a modest increase in troops. But Trump gave no number, which was flagged as disingenuous by Jeremy Bash, a CIA and Pentagon chief of staff during the Obama administration.

"Dalio Says the U.S. Is the Most Divided Since 1937" ... "Billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio said [on LinkedIn that] he's 'tactically reducing our risk' because he's 'concerned about growing internal and external conflict leading to impaired government efficiency,'" Bloomberg's Katia Porzecanski reports:

• "Dalio, whose views on ... Trump's administration have soured in recent months, said 'politics will probably play a greater role in affecting markets than we have experienced any time before in our lifetimes but in a manner that is broadly similar to 1937.'"
• "I'm watching how conflict is being handled as a guide, and I'm not encouraged," Dalio said Monday. "Conflicts have now intensified to the point that fighting to the death is probably more likely than reconciliation."
• Read Dalio's post.