Trump Alters Story On Why He Fired Flynn

[edpc]

Calvin Woodward and Ken Thomas, Associated Press
Associated PressDecember 2, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump changed his story Saturday on why he fired Michael Flynn as his national security adviser, now suggesting he knew at the time that Flynn had lied to the FBI as well as to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russians during the presidential transition.

That was a turnabout from his initial explanations that Flynn had to go because he hadn't been straight with Pence about those contacts. Lying to the FBI is a crime, and one that Flynn acknowledged Friday in pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with the special counsel's Russia investigation.

Trump's tweet: "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!"

It's unclear now why Trump would cite lying to the FBI as a reason for firing Flynn. Doing so suggests the president knew at the time that Flynn had done something that is against the law, and therefore the investigation could not be as frivolous as he's been portraying.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-alters-story-why-fired-flynn-203514321--politics.html

[edpc]

Meh. 

Not sure it's his job to tell investigators someone lied.  They need to figure that out.  Nevertheless, another unnecessary tweet.

[XenaLee]

Meh. 

Not sure it's his job to tell investigators someone lied.  They need to figure that out.

He fired the guy for being a liar.  What the hell else was he supposed to do? 

Idiotic assumptions on the op ed's part.  But... considering the source....

not surprising.

[Concerned]

Yet another tweet that could come back to haunt the President.  Maybe Tillerson was right by reportedly calling him a moron.

[TomSea]

I don't know if I agree with the premise of the article, parts hold up still, Flynn lied to Pence. Sometimes we may not say the whole thing, what if Trump had said months ago ".... and lied to the FBI..." Why add more to the story than needed. I think the article is reaching, I may be wrong.

[TomSea]

He fired the guy for being a liar.  What the hell else was he supposed to do? 

Idiotic assumptions on the op ed's part.  But... considering the source....

not surprising.

 :thumbsup2:

Absolutely and this is what? 9 months ago or something. Why bring the FBI into it even? Then, you might be relaying info that could have gotten Flynn in hot water right away as well.

[skeeter]

A ridiculous spin on a non-story. Stuff like this just makes the media look less & less professional and more & more hysterical.

[edpc]

A ridiculous spin on a non-story. Stuff like this just makes the media look less & less professional and more & more hysterical.

Perhaps, but it's an unforced error.  They cancelled a presser yesterday to avoid commenting on it.  Now, he has given them something to talk about, unnecessarily.

[skeeter]

Perhaps, but it's an unforced error.  They cancelled a presser yesterday to avoid commenting on it.  Now, he has given them something to talk about, unnecessarily.

Yeah I suppose. But it won't amount to anything & the media still looks ridiculously desperate for attempting to make a deal out of it.

[Frank Cannon]

He fired the guy for being a liar.  What the hell else was he supposed to do? 

Idiotic assumptions on the op ed's part.  But... considering the source....

not surprising.

Bingo.

[Cripplecreek]

Of course he did.

He's a lying piece of crap and always has been.

[Frank Cannon]

Of course he did.

He's a lying piece of crap and always has been.

Unlike your boy McMuffin.

[Oceander]

Boy is that article a stretch. I don’t see Trumps tweet as being a change of reason for why he fired Flynn.  As I read the tweet, the reference to the FBI is simply reinforcement for the original decision to fire him (ie, I’m assuming Trump is essentially saying something like “I fired him because he lied to us, and now you can see why that was a good decision because he also lied to the FBI.  Nobody can have somebody like that around.”).

[Fantom]

Boy is that article a stretch. I don’t see Trumps tweet as being a change of reason for why he fired Flynn.  As I read the tweet, the reference to the FBI is simply reinforcement for the original decision to fire him (ie, I’m assuming Trump is essentially saying something like “I fired him because he lied to us, and now you can see why that was a good decision because he also lied to the FBI.  Nobody can have somebody like that around.”).

Well reasoned.


Like your new avatar BTW.

[edpc]

Boy is that article a stretch. I don’t see Trumps tweet as being a change of reason for why he fired Flynn.  As I read the tweet, the reference to the FBI is simply reinforcement for the original decision to fire him (ie, I’m assuming Trump is essentially saying something like “I fired him because he lied to us, and now you can see why that was a good decision because he also lied to the FBI.  Nobody can have somebody like that around.”).

Not really any nuance to the guy.  There's no other way to read it as written and wonder why someone didn't stop it. 

I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies.

Lying to the VP isn't a crime.  You don't plead guilty to that.  Lying to investigators is a weak process crime.  They're allowed to lie to you without consequence.  I don't believe this means what the press thinks it does, but it's a good example of how unfiltered Trump could lead to his undoing.

[Oceander]

Well reasoned.


Like your new avatar BTW.

Thank you.  On both accounts. 

[ConservativeGranny]

Trump didn't fire him because he lied. He fired him because Flynn was caught in a big whopper and it would have been worse for Trump NOT to fire him. Trump didn't want to fire Flynn. He defended him on more than one occasion and admitted he didn't want to fire him.  And it is obvious why. Flynn knew too much. Trump couldn't offer him another position. Flynn was in too much doo-doo. Now Trump was losing control over Flynn and he is a loose cannon. What Trump feared would happen has happened. This is only the beginning.

It was never a secret who Flynn was and what he was about. Trump wasn't clueless and he hired him anyway. Why? Munch on that one for awhile.

[Chosen Daughter]

A ridiculous spin on a non-story. Stuff like this just makes the media look less & less professional and more & more hysterical.

what is ridiculous to me is that Trump is airing it on twitter.  The theme for this year.  Liar.  Liar, liar pants on fire.  Pants so hot that they have to take to twitter looking for water.

[Chosen Daughter]

Trump didn't fire him because he lied. He fired him because Flynn was caught in a big whopper and it would have been worse for Trump NOT to fire him. Trump didn't want to fire Flynn. He defended him on more than one occasion and admitted he didn't want to fire him.  And it is obvious why. Flynn knew too much. Trump couldn't offer him another position. Flynn was in too much doo-doo. Now Trump was losing control over Flynn and he is a loose cannon. What Trump feared would happen has happened. This is only the beginning.

It was never a secret who Flynn was and what he was about. Trump wasn't clueless and he hired him anyway. Why? Munch on that one for awhile.

Yes, why?  Looks to me like they are turning on each other.  I remember how Trump was sending Putin candies for valentines day.

[DCPatriot]

A ridiculous spin on a non-story. Stuff like this just makes the media look less & less professional and more & more hysterical.

Ahhh....but it sure does bring out the 'House NTs'.     

[edpc]

Ahhh....but it sure does bring out the 'House NTs'.     

Amateur hour crap like this won’t help....

President Donald Trump's personal lawyer John Dowd drafted the president's Saturday morning tweet that stated he fired former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for lying not only to Vice President Mike Pence but also to the FBI, Dowd told ABC News Saturday.

.................................

The White House, which has insisted that tweets from the president should be taken as official statements, has declined to comment.

http://abcnews.go.com/amp/Politics/trumps-lawyer-wrote-presidents-sloppy-tweet-flynns-dismissal/story?id=51541650

[Right_in_Virginia]

Amateur hour crap like this won’t help....

Oh    You'd be the first one biotching if the President's attorneys hadn't been involved. 

[DCPatriot]

Oh    You'd be the first one biotching if the President's attorneys hadn't been involved.

 

[edpc]

Oh    You'd be the first one biotching if the President's attorneys hadn't been involved.

Actually, I think I’ve been pretty clear this tweet shouldn’t have been sent, at all.  I probably shouldn’t be surprised he gets this kind of advice from a personal attorney, considering his personal physician comes with a complimentary laugh track.  I mean, we know he only hires the best people.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Actually, I think I’ve been pretty clear this tweet shouldn’t have been sent, at all.  I probably shouldn’t be surprised he gets this kind of advice from a personal attorney, considering his personal physician comes with a complimentary laugh track. 

  You've not been right yet.