Trump seeks national security adviser, health care strategy

Published 9:41 am Monday, February 20, 2017

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  — President Donald Trump’s holiday weekend featured a raucous campaign rally, a health care strategy session, interviews for a new national security adviser — and even a few holes of golf.

Trump brought four contenders to his private club Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Sunday as he seeks a replacement for retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who was ousted last week. Trump says he wants to make a decision in the next few days.

The president also drilled down on policy during his working weekend at Mar-a-Lago, attending a strategy session on how to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, with top aides including newly-installed Health Secretary Tom Price and Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House budget office.

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After weeks of tumult in Washington, Trump returned to Florida and his private club for a third straight weekend. On Twitter Saturday, he defended his young administration against reports of dysfunction, saying: “The White House is running VERY WELL. I inherited a MESS and am in the process of fixing it.”

At the top of the president’s agenda is filling the job of national security adviser.