Here's How The White House Responded To Trump Aides' Arrests

WASHINGTON, DC — White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had one job to do Monday: deflect, deflect, deflect.

She held a press briefing just hours after the revelation that several of President Trump's former aides have been charged in the Russia investigation. As Sanders took questions for reporters, she downplayed the aides' ties to Trump, said the crimes in question had nothing to do with the campaign and argued that Democrat's funding of opposition research against Trump was the "real scandal."

Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort turned himself in to law enforcement Monday morning on 12 criminal charges, including conspiracy against the United States, as a part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election. Manafort's associate Rick Gates was also indicted on the same charges.

In addition, the FBI revealed Monday that a former Trump campaign staffer has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and impeding the Russia probe.

Sanders said that the president is not currently considering firing special counsel Robert Mueller, who is in charge of the investigation. She immediately tried to distance the campaign from the charges, saying Papadopoulos had a "limited role." She said the last "known" conversation between Manafort and Trump was in February.

She said she believes the Russia investigation will be wrapping up soon.

Watch Clip: White House Tries To Distance Trump From Mueller Indictments

She said the charges against Manafort and Gates were not related to any campaign activities. On Papadopoulos's contacts with Russia, Sanders said the campaign shot down any suggestions for the campaign to meet with Kremlin officials. She noted that Papadopoulos was a "volunteer" member of the campaign on a panel that met once.

However, case files from the FBI show that Papadopoulos reached out to top-level campaign officials with plans to meet with Russians. One top-level official suggested that Trump should not take the meeting, but a lower-level staffer should.

Sanders said she was not "aware" of this conversation.

The White House is also facing policy challenges this week in addition to the developments in the Russia investigation. On Monday afternoon, a federal court ruled against Trump's memorandum that restricted to right of transgender Americans serving in the military. Sanders said the administration is reviewing the ruling.

Watch a replay of the event below:

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