Overnight Defense: Trump poised to allow release of intel memo | Pentagon won't rule out personal cellphone ban | Mattis wants to make military 'more lethal'

View in your browser     THE TOPLINE: President Trump plans to allow the release of a controversial memo detailing alleged surveillance abuses at the FBI, according to a senior administration official. The official said Trump will inform Congress of his decision "probably tomorrow," adding the president did not have any national security objections to releasing it and would likely not request that any material be redacted. "The president is OK with it," the official told reporters traveling with Trump aboard Air Force One. "I doubt there will be any redactions. It's in Congress's hands after that." The decision paves the way for the document, which was drafted by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, to be released to the public. Once the White House approves the memo's release, it would be up to the Intelligence panel to decide if and when to make it public. The Hill's Jordan Fabian and Katie Bo Williams have the rest here. Ahead of the memo's release, the furor surrounding the document reached a fever pitch and has divided Republicans on Capitol Hill. It has also led to calls from top Democrats for the removal of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who spearheaded the document. Read about that here.   More on the memo: -- Ryan: GOP memo not an 'indictment' of FBI, DOJ -- Comey praises FBI for speaking up against 'weasels and liars' -- Flake comes out against releasing Nunes memo -- Senate GOP leader cautions Nunes on FBI memo -- FBI agents issue statement of support for FBI director   MATTIS: 'I NEED TO MAKE THE MILITARY MORE LETHAL': Defense Secretary James Mattis on Thursday told House and Senate GOP lawmakers gathered at a party retreat in West Virginia that the Trump administration will request $716 billion for defense spending for the new fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. That figure is nearly $50 billion, or 7 percent, higher than Trump's fiscal 2018 budget request for the Pentagon. "I'm not subtle," Mattis told GOP lawmakers at their annual retreat at the famed Greenbriar resort, which allows tours of its Cold War-era nuclear fallout shelters. "I need to make the military more lethal. Some people think I'm supposed to be an equal-opportunity employer," Mattis added, according to several sources in the closed-door meeting. That appeared to be a veiled shot at Democrats who have called for fiscal parity, with domestic spending receiving the same increase as defense spending. The Trump administration requested roughly $668 billion for defense in fiscal 2018. Defense hawks derided that figure at the time as little more than what former President Obama had planned and instead pushed for a $700 billion defense budget. The Hill's Scott Wong and Rebecca Kheel have more here.   PENTAGON WON'T RULE OUT CELL PHONE BAN: Defense Department officials on Thursday wouldn't rule out banning cellphones from the Pentagon and other military bases and facilities, one possible outcome of a sweeping new security review. Defense Secretary James Mattis is reportedly weighing a ban on allowing civilian employees at the Pentagon to bring their personal cellphones to work as part of a Pentagon review examining the security of personal electronic devices. The review was fueled in part by news that a fitness-tracking app could put military personnel at risk, Pentagon chief spokeswoman Dana White said. "No decision has been made yet but we are looking at a comprehensive review of how we deal with electronics," White told reporters at the Pentagon. Read the rest here.   PENTAGON CONFIRMS MISSILE DEFENSE TEST FAIL: Pentagon officials on Thursday acknowledged that a missile defense test in Hawaii the day before did not go as hoped. "We can confirm it, and it did not meet our objectives," Defense Department chief spokeswoman Dana White told reporters at the Pentagon. "But we learn something all the time with these tests, and we learned something from this one and we'll continue to improve our capabilities," White added. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy on Wednesday conducted a live-fire missile flight test using a Standard-Missile (SM)-3 Block IIA missile. The Raytheon-made missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, and attempted to hit an intercept target launched from an aircraft. Read more about that here.   ON TAP FOR TOMORROW: Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon will unveil the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review at 2:30 p.m. at the Pentagon. https://www.defense.gov/live   ICYMI:  -- The Hill: Soldier dies in accidental shooting at Oregon National Guard facility: report -- The Hill: Navy chief: Stopgap spending is like trying to win Super Bowl by playing three quarters of game -- The Hill: US officials say Syria's Assad may be making new chemical weapons -- The Hill: Russia to US Navy: Get new maps -- The Hill: Generals to join US Olympic delegation to South Korea -- The Hill: Envoy: 'I don't believe we are close' to military options in North Korea -- The Hill: Opinion: On state of American foreign affairs, Trump leaves the nation wondering -- The Hill: Opinion: Trump fails to make a case for tougher action on North Korea     Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Kheel, rkheel@thehill.com, and Ellen Mitchell, emitchell@thehill.com. 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