Trump On Flynn's Clearance: 'Well Obama I Guess Didn't Vet'
- 7 years ago
President Trump appears to be shifting much of the blame about former national security adviser Michael Flynn to poor vetting by the Obama administration.
President Trump appears to be shifting much of the blame about former national security adviser Michael Flynn to poor vetting by the Obama administration.
During an interview with Fox News Friday, the president said, “I do feel badly for [Flynn]. He served the country. He was a general. But just remember, he was approved by the Obama administration at the highest level.”
Trump added, “And when they say we didn’t vet, well Obama I guess didn’t vet, because he was approved at the highest level of security by the Obama administration. So when he came into our administration, for a short period of time, he came in, he was already approved by the Obama administration.”
White House press secretary Sean Spicer echoed similar claims at a press briefing the day before, telling reporters that “General Flynn was a career military officer who maintained a high-level security clearance throughout his career in the military. His clearance was last reissued by the Obama administration in 2016 with full knowledge of his activities that occurred in 2015.”
There has been renewed scrutiny over Flynn’s appointment since news broke that he is now being investigated by the Pentagon.
According to NPR, the retired general is being accused of receiving $35,000 from a Russian news outlet and $530,000 from a Dutch company with Turkish ties--neither of which he is believed to have reported or requested permission to collect.
President Trump appears to be shifting much of the blame about former national security adviser Michael Flynn to poor vetting by the Obama administration.
During an interview with Fox News Friday, the president said, “I do feel badly for [Flynn]. He served the country. He was a general. But just remember, he was approved by the Obama administration at the highest level.”
Trump added, “And when they say we didn’t vet, well Obama I guess didn’t vet, because he was approved at the highest level of security by the Obama administration. So when he came into our administration, for a short period of time, he came in, he was already approved by the Obama administration.”
White House press secretary Sean Spicer echoed similar claims at a press briefing the day before, telling reporters that “General Flynn was a career military officer who maintained a high-level security clearance throughout his career in the military. His clearance was last reissued by the Obama administration in 2016 with full knowledge of his activities that occurred in 2015.”
There has been renewed scrutiny over Flynn’s appointment since news broke that he is now being investigated by the Pentagon.
According to NPR, the retired general is being accused of receiving $35,000 from a Russian news outlet and $530,000 from a Dutch company with Turkish ties--neither of which he is believed to have reported or requested permission to collect.