President Donald Trump blamed intelligence officials and the media Wednesday for what he called the "very, very unfair" treatment of his ousted national security adviser and for "illegally leaked" information about reported contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian officials. Trump is said to favor Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former Navy SEAL, as his next national security adviser, according to a White House official. Harward met with top White House officials last week and has the backing of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Flynn's ouster was a blow to a White House struggling to find its footing in Trump's first weeks in office. The president ignored shouted questions about whether his advisers were in touch with Russian officials.

Source: ABC News February 15, 2017 08:40 UTC