Trump dismisses Russia controversy as 'scam'

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1. Turmoil on Russia likely to follow Pence

By Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer
Updated 10:24 AM ET, Fri February 17, 2017

Vice President Mike Pence will try to leave behind a White House in tumult when he arrives in Europe Friday ...

Though he is seeking to reassure key allies such as Germany of US resolve on Russia and other issues that have rattled Western leaders, he himself faces questions about how much he's been looped in on President Donald Trump's thinking on the Kremlin.

On Monday, Trump ousted his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, for misleading Pence about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Pence, who had previously gone on television and repeated Flynn's prevarications, only discovered he was misinformed last Friday -- a full two weeks after Trump himself learned the Justice Department was looking into the matter.

Even as Pence seeks answers about why he was hoodwinked, Trump himself has expressed little concern about the compromised position of his vice president. Instead, he's cast Flynn -- whom he asked to resign -- as unfairly brought down by illegal leakers of classified intelligence ...