Q Their free speech, he doesn't like. And he wants to punish them for it.
MS. SANDERS: No. I think you are creating your own story there. The President doesn't like the fact that people are politicizing agencies and departments that are specifically meant to not be political and not meant to be monetized off of security clearances.
Hallie.
Q Sarah, I want to follow up and ask a separate question after. But to follow up on that, isn't the President doing exactly what you just said the President doesn't want all these people doing: politicizing matters of national security by going after his political enemies?
MS. SANDERS: No, the President is not making baseless accusations of improper contact with a foreign government and accusing the President of the United States of treasonous activity when you have the highest level of security clearance, when you're the person that holds the nation's deepest, most-sacred secrets at your hands, and you go out and you make false accusations against the President of the United States. He thinks that is something to be very concerned with, and we're exploring what those options are and what that looks like.
Kaitlan.
Q The other topic, Sarah, was actually on the message to Paul -
MS. SANDERS: Sorry, I got to keep moving because we're running out of time -
Q That's okay. Just the second question -
MS. SANDERS: Kaitlan, go ahead.
Q - was on the President's message to Paul Manafort. Does he have one?
MS. SANDERS: Sorry, Hallie. I've got about two more questions left.
Kaitlan, go ahead.
Q The President's message to Paul Manafort, Sarah? Just does he have one?
MS. SANDERS: Not that I'm aware of.
Kaitlan, go ahead.
Q When is the President going to make this decision on those security clearances?
MS. SANDERS: I said, when we have an update, we will let you know.
Q Okay, so my other -
MS. SANDERS: Last question. David.
Q My question - that was just a follow-up on that. My question: Has the President - since you didn't answer if he's briefed - since they haven't briefed reporters on what went down during the two-hour meeting between President Trump -
MS. SANDERS: We actually had a press conference. The President has done a number of interviews. And we've actually put out quite a bit of information following that meeting. So -
Q So my question is not about the press, but has the President briefed his national security advisor, his Secretary of State, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Defense Secretary on what exactly was said between him and President Putin?
MS. SANDERS: The President has met and spoken with all of those individuals since his meeting with President Putin.
Q But when he briefs them, is he relying solely on his own memory to tell them what happened during that two-hour meeting?
MS. SANDERS: The President has met and consulted with all of his national security team, and we feel very confident in the process.
Q But it's on what he remembers that happened? It's not any notes he took or -
MS. SANDERS: Kaitlan, I'm not going to go into the specific details on how the President interacts every single time with his national security team, but -
Q Well, this is a rare one, though. It's a sit-down with the Russian President for two hours, one on one.
MS. SANDERS: It's actually not a rarity; it's a normal practice for two world leaders to be able to have a conversation with one another.
Q But not the President of Russia, who attacked the American election.
MS. SANDERS: David, go ahead.
Q What about President Obama and Vice President Biden, and their security clearances? Are they on the list as well?
MS. SANDERS: I'm not aware of any plans for that at this point.
Thank you so much, guys. We'll see you on the South Lawn.
