Sarah Huckabee Sanders Defends Trump's Tweets On London Mayor, Travel Ban

WASHINGTON, DC — Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended President Trump's recent tweets that lashed out at the mayor of London and critics of the travel ban. Watch a replay of the briefing below.

Asked why Trump was "picking a fight" with the mayor of London, Sanders denied that he had attacked the mayor at all. But Trump had took the mayor's saying "there's no reason to be alarmed" out of context in a series of tweets over the weekend; Mayor Sadiq Khan only said that about the additional police presence, not about the terrorism itself, as Trump implied. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Sanders said that the idea that Trump was attacking Khan because he was Muslim was "utterly ridiculous." One reporter noted that the mayor, and many in London, felt the president's comments compounded the emotional impact of the attack. Sanders would not directly answer a question about who was to blame for this.

She also said she does not believe the president's tweets are being reviewed by a lawyer. However, many believe the president's recent tweets may undermine the Justice Department's defense of his travel ban. Sanders denied that this was the case and argued that Trump was only concerned about defending the country.

Sanders announced that Trump will not invoke executive privilege to prevent former FBI Director James Comey from testifying before the Senate this Thursday. Even if the White House wanted to prevent Comey from speaking on these matters, it's not clear it could, because Trump may have effectively waived privilege by publicly speaking about his conversations with Comey.

Asked why Sanders delivered the briefing today, instead of Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Sanders said this was just a part of her job. Some rumors have suggested that Spicer's job may be at risk, but Sanders said he was taking on additional responsibilities with the ouster of Communications Director Michael Dubke.

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin spoke before Sanders, discussing efforts to reform the system that treats and provides care for veterans. He said that reforming the department's record-keeping systems and making them compatible with those of the Defense Department will make life easier for veterans seeking care. Shulkin also said that the problems faced by the VA have spanned administrations and decades; he noted that the Trump administration's prioritization of reform has spurred the current changes underway.

Shulkin also said the process was "high risk," and the plan will still need Congressional funding and approval. At this point, the department does not have a ballpark figure for the expense of the plan, but Shulkin said it will most likely cost more than $4 billion.

Watch a replay of the briefing below.

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Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images