Rob Porter was working at the White House with a temporary security clearance. Throughout the government, though, there is a big backlog of background checks that is hampering its function.
President Trump says he was surprised by domestic violence accusations against former staff secretary Rob Porter. "It was very sad when we heard about it," he said. Porter has denied the allegations.
The president spoke at the 66th annual National Prayer Breakfast, largely sticking to his script a year after using the event to talk about TV ratings.
Americans are not sold on President Trump's immigration deal that calls for billions for a border wall. That's one finding of an NPR/Ipsos poll that shows Americans sharply divided on immigration.
In 2012, Syrians living in the U.S. were shielded from having to return to a country embroiled in war. Those protections were extended Wednesday, but only for Syrians in the U.S. since Aug. 1, 2016.
One Republican lawmaker asked authorities to check the identification of immigrants coming as guests. A Democrat is bringing the candidate challenging House Speaker Paul Ryan to sit in the audience.