According to a breaking news report from the New York Times, former President Barack Obama had warned President Trump against naming Michael Flynn to the post of National Security Adviser during a meeting in the Oval Office two days after the 2016 election.
Two former Obama administration officials said Obama told Trump that he had “profound concerns about Mr. Flynn becoming a top national security aide.” The Times’ sources say Obama was aware of Flynn’s Russia contacts. Trump ultimately ignored the advice and appointed Flynn to be National Security Adviser, only to ask him to a resign less than a month after the inauguration. It was discovered that Flynn had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyack.
From The New York Times:
Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump met for the first time in the Oval Office on Nov. 10 in what both men later described as a cordial, 90-minute session in which the outgoing president pledged to do everything he could to support the transition to a new administration.
Mr. Flynn’s name came up during a broader discussion about personnel issues, the former administration officials said. Mr. Obama’s concerns about Mr. Flynn, which were first reported by NBC News, were largely about his management of the D.I.A. and predated the later concerns about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak.
Mr. President: You failed to vet Flynn, hired him, and only fired him once his lies became public. Which part of that is Obama's fault? https://t.co/sMhvFjX5pa
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 8, 2017
In 2014, Flynn was pushed out by the Obama administration from his post at the Defense Intelligence Agency due to his alleged “chaotic” management style.
The Times’ report comes just before former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates’ expected testimony at a Senate hearing this Monday about her own past concerns over Flynn. In an early morning Twitter post, Trump tried to shift the blame to Obama.
“General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama Administration,” Trump tweeted. “…but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that.”
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