Trump's approval will ensure controversial memo's release despite warnings from intelligence officials

President Trump is prepared to approve the release of a controversial Republican-drafted memo about secret government surveillance as soon as Friday, a step that would put him at odds with his top national security officials but could give him a new tool to undermine public confidence in the Russia investigation.

The White House might not seek any changes to the classified document, a senior administration official said Thursday, even though FBI Director Christopher A. Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats have expressed concern about its contents.

"The president is OK with it," the official said. "I doubt there will be any redactions. It's in Congress' hands after that."

The FBI publicly warned Wednesday that it had "grave concerns" about the memo's accuracy, a highly unusual challenge to the White House. Coats has privately expressed similar concerns to the White House, saying the release could set a troubling precedent for revealing classified information, according to another U.S. official. - Read More, latimes

Trump's approval will ensure controversial memo's release despite warnings from intelligence officials