Trump Responds to Testimony on Flynn, Russian Influence

US President Donald Trump insisted there is no evidence he colluded with Russia after a Senate hearing that highlighted warnings that his former national security advisor was vulnerable to Russian blackmail.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

The conversation took place two days after the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Mr Flynn about those contacts.

She was sacked four days later by the Trump administration.

Flynn was dismissed under President Barack Obama as defense intelligence chief before becoming an ardent supporter of Trump and eventually Trump's national security adviser. But then, Trump has yet to own a mistake he's made.

Spicer said that after Yates informed them of Flynn's conduct, McGahn and his associate "reviewed the situation" and "informed the president right away".

Senator John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, questioned Yates heatedly about her objections to Trump's travel ban.

He also sought to undermine Yates by calling her "a strong supporter" of Trump's 2016 opponent, Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonSpicer: Flynn deserved "due process" in face of "political opponent" Yates" warnings Trump team plans to release video of Clinton's concession call Ingraham: Dems want to put Yates "on Mt. Rushmore' MORE.

However, it took 18 days from the second meeting - and only after the news was leaked and published by the Washington Post - for the White House to fire Flynn.

Yates testified at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing that focused primarily on Flynn, and did not shed much light on other aspects of investigations of allegations that Russian Federation meddled in the 2016 US election and whether there was collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow.

Mr Obama, who had fired Mr Flynn as the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), told Mr Trump that he would have profound concerns about Mr Flynn becoming a top national security aide.

SPICER: Hold on. No. Caitlyn (ph), let me answer the question.

The real news is that neither Yates nor Clapper had any direct proof of Russia-Trump campaign collusion. And while the day's biggest reactions concerned Trump's attempts to gaslight the media on Twitter and favored punching bag Ted Cruz, reporters attending Spicer's White House Press Briefing were more concerned with the administration's latest response.

The AP interviewed multiple former USA officials, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive national security information.

Marshall Billingslea, a former Pentagon and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation official, wanted the information for Flynn, his boss.

Flynn, a retired general, has emerged as a central figure in the Russian probes. Last month, Trump announced his intention to nominate Billingslea to serve as assistant secretary for terrorist financing at the Treasury Department.

Now there are calls among Democrats in her home state of Georgia for Yates to become a candidate, possibly for governor next year.

Yates herself, a longtime federal prosecutor, was sacked by Trump on January 30 after refusing to defend his travel ban.