Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was asked to resign, a White House official told TPM on Tuesday.
Flynn resigned less than a month into his tenure in the wake of reports that he discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the country’s ambassador before President Donald Trump took office.
Earlier Tuesday, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on NBC’s “Today” that Flynn resigned voluntarily.
“The President is very loyal. He’s a very loyal person. And by nighttime, Mike Flynn had decided it was best to resign. He knew he became a lightning rod, and he made that decision,” she said.
The New York Times reported Monday night that Flynn had been asked to resign by President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon.
And on Tuesday morning, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said twice in a press briefing, referring to Flynn, that the President had made the right decision “to ask for his resignation.”
The Post also reported on Monday, before Flynn’s resignation, that then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates had warned White House Counsel Don McGahn in January that Flynn may be at risk of blackmail from Russia.
Well, he was given a choice. Resign. Be fired. So they can play it both ways. And they are.
Kelly, The witch: See, I was right. He did resign on his own.
Now Bannon has to reach out to whoever does the wet work for Breitbart. Flynn knows too much to be walking around free to talk.
I’m hearing Flynn has the “full confidence” of the President.
Now that he’s a private citizen again Flynn can work in the shadows for Trump (um, what he’s been doing all along)…
Obviously the disparity between Conway’s portrayal and actual events will require all the news shows to have her on and provide the alternate facts she based her statement on.
“President Trump believes Mr. Flynn offered his voluntary resignation in response to the President’s request for it.”
Don’t you see, he voluntarily chose to leave, after being asked to do so. So, it was a voluntary resignation.