Trump defends Michael Flynn ahead of blockbuster Sally Yates testimony
Pool/Getty Images
"General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama Administration - but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that," Trump wrote ahead of the testimony from former acting Attorney General Sally Yates.
Late last month, this line of defense was first presented by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who said Flynn passed a security clearance during President Barack Obama's final year in office and did not need to be vetted again before being appointed as national security adviser.
Trump followed up with a subsequent tweet, offering up a question for members of the Senate subcommittee that Yates, the former deputy attorney general, will testify in front of at 2:30 p.m. ET.
"Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to" the White House counsel, he wrote.
Prior to Flynn's ouster, it was reported in multiple outlets that Yates told White House counsel Donald McGahn of Flynn's misleading statements on his contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, which she argued could expose him to potential blackmail from the Russian government. Flynn was forced to step down after just 24 days on the job following multiple outlets reporting he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations he had with Kislyak prior to Trump's inauguration.
Just prior to the president's tweets, Axios reported he was not pleased with administration officials expressing contempt for the ousted Flynn. As reporter Jonathan Swan wrote, Flynn "isn't missed" by White House officials, even though Trump has repeatedly defended him after pushing him out of the administration.
"Trump wants any of his staff who've been feeding negative lines about Flynn to the media to stop immediately," Axios reported late Sunday.
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- A centenarian who starts her day with gentle exercise and loves walks shares 5 longevity tips, including staying single
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- Election Commission issues notification for sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls
- 6 Coffee recipes you should try this summer
- "To sit and talk in the box...!" Kohli's message to critics as RCB wrecks GT in IPL Match 45
- 7 Nutritious and flavourful tiffin ideas to pack for school
- India's e-commerce market set to skyrocket as the country's digital economy surges to USD 1 Trillion by 2030
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market