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   D TO HIS                     
   CONTACTS AND DEALINGS        
   WITH RUSSIA.                 

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   NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT       
   PETER ALEXANDER HAS          
   DETAILS.                     

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   >> Reporter: TONIGHT,        
   NBC NEWS HAS LEARNED         
   THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA         

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   DELIVERED THE PERSONAL       
   WARNING TO                   
   PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP,       

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   JUST MINUTES BEFORE          
   THIS GIANT OVAL OFFICE       
   APPEARANCE AND LESS          

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   THAN 48 HOURS AFTER          
   THE ELECTION.                
   >> WE NOW ARE GOING TO       

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   WANT TO DO EVERYTHING        
   WE CAN TO HELP YOU           
   SUCCEED.                     

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   >> Reporter: AT THE          
   TIME FLYNN WAS ALREADY       
   A KEY ADVISER TO MR.         

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   TRUMP.                       
   AND THE OBAMA                
   ADMINISTRATION HAD           

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   FIRED HIM FROM HIS           
   POST AS HEAD OF THE          
   DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE         

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   AGENCY IN 2014.              
   TODAY, THE WHITE HOUSE       
   SUGGESTING THAT BACK         

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   STORY PROMPTED               
   PRESIDENT OBAMA'S            
   ADVICE, WHICH MR.            

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   TRUMP ESSENTIALLY            
   DISMISSED.                   
   >> IT'S TRUE THAT THE        

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   PRESIDENT MADE IT --         
   PRESIDENT OBAMA MADE         
   IT KNOWN THAT HE             

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   WASN'T EXACTLY A FAN         
   OF GENERAL FLYNN'S.          
   WHICH IS FRANKLY --          

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   SHOULDN'T COME AS A          
   SURPRISE.                    
   >> Reporter: BUT THE         

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   UNUSUAL MOVE WAS ONE         
   OF AT LEAST TWO              
   WARNINGS THE WHITE           

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   HOUSE RECEIVED ABOUT         
   FLYNN.                       
   THE INCOMING NATIONAL        

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   SECURITY ADVISER.            
   THE OTHER FROM FORMER        
   ACTING ATTORNEY              

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   GENERAL SALLY YATES.         
   AN OBAMA                     
   ADMINISTRATION               

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   HOLDOVER TODAY               
   REVEALING WHAT SHE           
   TOLD THE WHITE HOUSE         

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   FOR FIRST TIME               
   PUBLICLY AND PUTTING A       
   SPOTLIGHT AGAIN ON THE       

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   TRUMP TEAM CONNECTIONS       
   TO RUSSIA.                   
   >> TO STATE THE              

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   OBVIOUS, YOU DON'T           
   WANT YOUR NATIONAL           
   SECURITY ADVISER             

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   COMPROMISED WITH             
   RUSSIANS.                    

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   >> Reporter: YATES           
   SAID SHE WARNED THAT         
   FLYNN HAD MISLED PENCE       

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   AND OTHER OFFICIALS          
   AND THAT THE RUSSIANS        
   KNEW.                        

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   >> THAT CREATED A            
   COMPROMISE SITUATION.        
   A SITUATION WHERE THE        

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   NATIONAL SECURITY            
   ADVISER ESSENTIALLY          
   COULD BE BLACKMAILED         

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   BY THE RUSSIANS.             
   >> Reporter: YATES           
   SAYS SHE GAVE THE            

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   INFORMATION TO THE           
   WHITE HOUSE SO THEY          
   COULD TAKE ACTION.           

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   BUT SHE WAS FIRED BY         
   PRESIDENT TRUMP DAYS         
   LATER FOR REFUSING TO        

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   ENFORCE HIS                  
   CONTROVERSIAL TRAVEL         
   BAN.                         

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   THIS MORNING,                
   PRESIDENT TRUMP              
   DEFENDING HIS DECISION       

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   TO HIRE FLYNN BY             
   BLAMING THE OBAMA            
   ADMINISTRATION SAYING        

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   THEY GAVE FLYNN THE          
   HIGHEST SECURITY             
   CLEEFRNS.                    

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   EVEN AFTER HIS FIRING        
   FLYNN DID RETAIN HIS         
   CLEARANCE.                   

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   IT WAS RENEWED IN            
   2016.                        
   MULTIPLE U.S.                

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   OFFICIALS TELL NBC           
   NEWS AT THE TIME,            
   FLYNN NEVER REVEALED         

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   HE HAD TAKEN NEAR            
   $34,000 FROM RUSSIAN         
   STATE MEDIA TO SPEAK         

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   AT A DINNER IN MOSCOW        
   THAT MAY HAVE KEPT HIM       
   FROM GETTING THAT            

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   CLEARANCE.                   
   AND HE WAS NEVER             
   GRANTED THE ADDITIONAL       

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   SECURITY CLEARANCE HE        
   WOULD NEED TO BE             
   NATIONAL SECURITY            

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   ADVISER.                     
   >> MILLIONS OF PEOPLE        
   HAVE A SECURITY              

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   CLEARANCE.                   
   IT'S LIKE HAVING A           
   PILOT'S LICENSE.             

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   THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU        
   CAN FLY AIR FORCE ONE.       
   YOU HAVE BEEN VETTED         

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   TO TAKE ON THE MOST          
   SENSITIVE JOB IN THE         
   WORLD.                       

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   >> Reporter: TONIGHT         
   WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS        
   ARE DISMISSING SALLY         

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   YATES' TESTIMONY,            
   ARGUING NOTHING NEW          
   WAS REVEALED AND THAT        

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   THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON       
   THE LEAKING