Mulvaney was briefed and was supposed to go out and do the WH briefing in part to announce a decision that aides knew the president couldn't do himself (Doral) and in part to face questions re Ukraine, per ppl familiar with what happened.
He was prepped to go a certain way on Ukraine but wasn't supposed to suggest a quid pro quo. POTUS said he didn't see, but he did watch at least part of it, and was happy with how Mulvaney did and sent him that message, those ppl said.
But the quid pro quo line ricocheted around the White House. The counsel's office wasn't happy. Trump's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, made clear in a statement he wasn't pleased. Trump heard from advisers telling him this had created a new problem.
So he directed advisers to deal with it. Mulvaney worked with the press shop at the WH and the counsel's office on a statement to clean up what he said earlier. Trump, distracted by Pence and Pompeo in Turkey, hadn't seen most of the coverage by midafternoon.
