The White House says that President Donald Trump asked his national security adviser to tender his resignation because of a trust issue, not a legal issue. General Michael Flynn offered his resignation late Monday night.
Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, who serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, says the committee is now tasked with investigating exactly what was said in a telephone conversation between Flynn and the Russian ambassador. The Missouri Republican told a St. Louis radio station says every White House has what Blunt called a “shakedown cruise,” and said this is the first change in the new administration.
“It won’t be the last change, I wouldn’t think,” Blunt said in an interview KTRS radio.
“Everybody needs that investigation to happen, ” Blunt said. “The Senate Intelligence Committee has been given the principal responsibility to look into this, and I think we should look into it exhaustively, so at the end of this process nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned.
“I would think we should talk to General Flynn very soon, and that should answer a lot of questions.”
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the retired general either mislead Vice President Mike Pence and others, or forgot “critical details” about his call with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., creating “a critical mass and an unsustainable situation.”
Flynn resigned his position late Monday, days after a Washington Post report cited intelligence intercepts showingthat Flynn addressed sanctions with the diplomat while President Barack Obama was still in office.
Blunt said Flynn served the country well, and for a long time.
“You need to betruthful in whatever job you have,” he said. “The National Security Adviser has to be absolutely trustworthy and truthful, and apparently he wasn’t, and he paid the price for that.”
(Staff and wire reports)