White House

Secure White House messaging app found vulnerable

Confide, the secure messaging app reportedly employed by President Donald Trump's aides to speak to each other in secret, promises "military-grade end-to-end encryption" to its users and claims that nobody can intercept and read chats that disappear after they are read.

However, two separate research have raised a red flag about the claims made by the company.

Trump surprises White House tour group

The tour group, including many young children, cheered and screamed as the President popped out from behind a room divider.

Trump called fifth-grader Jack Cornish of Birmingham, Alabama, toward him, gave him a hug, and posed together for a photo. Cornish, 10, appeared to flash an "OK" sign as Trump gripped his shoulders.

"Work hard, everybody, work hard," he said, standing in front of a portrait of former first lady Hillary Clinton.

Trump waved to the group as he walked away.

White House condemns Kansas attack, calls it 'racially motivated'

The comments are the most direct the White House has been on the shooting, which killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla, a 32-year old employee at GPS company Garmin, and left Alok Madasani, 32, and Ian Grillot, 24, in the hospital.

"As more facts come to light and it begins to look like this was an act of racially motivated hatred," said Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman. "I want to reiterate the President condemns these or any other racially or religiously motivated attacks in the strongest terms. They have no place in our country."

Trump signed off on checking White House staffers' phones

The decision sent a signal across the administration that Trump is furious at leaks from inside the White House. The sources also said the President gave his blessing before Spicer blocked reporters from the briefing last Friday.

When reached by CNN, Spicer denied that Trump was involved in either decision.

"(Trump) did not sign off or even know what I did. That is not accurate," he said, later adding, "I don't believe he even knew there was a gaggle and in no way was it discussed with him or any other staffer."

FBI refuses White House request

White House officials had sought the help of the bureau and other agencies investigating the Russia matter to say that the reports were wrong and that there had been no contacts, the officials said. The reports of the contacts were first published by The New York Times and CNN on February 14.

White House confirms adviser reassigned after disagreeing with Trump

Craig Deare was removed from his role as a senior adviser at the National Security Council's Western Hemisphere division Friday and "sent back to his original position," said Sarah Sanders, a White House spokeswoman. Deare had been assigned to the NSC by the Trump administration.

White House: 'We are officially putting Iran on notice'

Without elaborating, Michael Flynn told White House reporters: "As of today, we are officially putting Iran on notice."

Washington earlier declared the test to be "absolutely unacceptable".

Iran confirmed on Wednesday it had tested a missile over the weekend, but denied violating a UN Security Council resolution.

Mr Flynn did not provide any further details of what actions the US may be planning in response to the test, which Pentagon officials say failed upon re-entry into the earth's atmosphere.

Theresa May to meet Donald Trump on Friday - White House

Mrs May will be the first foreign leader to meet the new president after his inauguration.

A post-Brexit free trade deal is thought likely to be high on her agenda as she travels to the US for talks.

Confirmation of the meeting came as hundreds of thousands of people around the world joined women's marches to protest Mr Trump's presidency.

Mr Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer gave details of Mrs May's visit in his first briefing to journalists at the White House on Saturday.

How White House staff pranked President Obama with snowmen

"There's a whole kind of Chucky element to them. They're a little creepy," he told People Magazine.

When First Lady Michelle joked about putting one in their bedroom Mr Obama said he would move out if he saw one there.

But that didn't stop White House staff having a go at scaring him.

Official White House photographer Pete Souza explained the prank on his Instagram page.

Gloves-off White House creates rift between Obama and Trump teams

Even as President Barack Obama seeks to maintain an amicable relationship with Trump in an attempt to influence his successor's agenda, the public spat between aides over Russia's hacking has turned into the type of bitter back-and-forth the White House initially sought to avoid in the days immediately following the election.

Also fueling the rhetoric: Democrats' complaints the White House was slow in confronting Russia's hacking in the final days of the presidential campaign, a claim the White House disputes.