Republicans have been oddly silent in the hours since Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned in disgrace, but the few that have spoken up have told the press that they simply need to “move on” to other issues. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.
Transcript of the above video:
On Monday evening, Michael Flynn, the National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump was forced to resign after it was revealed that he wasn’t entirely truthful with Vice President Mike Pence and the rest of the Trump Administration about phone calls that he had with the Russian ambassador back in December before the inauguration. Now, while we do not know the exact details discussed in these phone calls, it’s very likely that Flynn was discussing sanctions that the United States has in place against Russia with the Russian ambassador and the possibility of lifting those sanctions under a Trump Administration. Now, that is absolutely something that Michael Flynn was not authorized to do. It’s something that he does not have the power to do, and so that’s why this has created a huge problem for the Trump Administration.
Now, before we get into the other issue, here, it’s important to note that the Justice Department had warned the Trump Administration a month ago about Michael Flynn’s phone calls with this Russian ambassador. The Trump Administration chose to do nothing. Then finally, once the issue became too big to ignore, Flynn resigned after being in power for only 24 days. The shortest serving National Security Advisor in the history of the United States.
Here’s where things get a little bit more interesting, and also a little bit more predictable. The Republican Party has been almost completely silent on this issue since the story broke Monday evening. We’ve had a couple Republicans come out and say, “Oh, well, this is bad. I thought Flynn was a good guy, but yeah, I guess he should’ve resigned.” That’s not exactly saying that what he did was wrong. It’s not saying that you disapprove of what’s happening in the Trump Administration. That’s literally just saying that the thing that everybody knows happened, happened.
Representative Chris Collins appeared on television where he said, “Oh, well, … This was Tuesday morning, he said, “Well, maybe the reason Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell aren’t saying anything publicly yet is because it’s Valentine’s Day. Maybe they’re having breakfast with their wives.” But, this is what Republican Representative Chris Collins said after that, “I think we all just need to move on from the Flynn, uh, resignation. Let’s not pile on. Let’s not dwell on it.” Chris Collins’ response to the National Security Advisor to Donald Trump having to resign after being in office for only 24 days, is to move on? Let’s forget that this thing happened and just move on? I mean, he potentially broke the law here, and you want us to just move on?
Senator John Thune went on CNN, he offered kind of the same thing, and said, “Oh, well, I always thought he was a good guy, but I guess this thing happened, so yeah, he resigned.” That, again, is not acknowledging the fact that the Donald Trump Administration is corrupt to the core. They were corrupt to the core before they even got sworn in or officially appointed. That’s what’s so disgusting about this story.
We have an administration in power right now that has no regard for the rule of law. The people serving with Donald Trump right now don’t even know what they’re official role is. They don’t know what they’re legally allowed to do and what they’re not allowed to do. That is incredibly dangerous.
We currently do not know exactly what Michael Flynn discussed on that phone call. It could’ve been anything. It could’ve been issues of national security that harm the United States. Remember when the Republicans got all up in arms about Hillary Clinton using a private email server and how that could endanger the United States? Here, we have somebody, with a direct line in to the President, talking to an ambassador which he wasn’t supposed to be doing in the first place about god knows what. Who knows what this man told him. Who knows what this man promised him. Who knows what information they have on Flynn. That’s what’s so terrifying about this. There is no rule of law within the Trump Administration. There is no honesty. There is no integrity. There’s no safety at this point. What Michael Flynn did was inexcusable, and terrible, and terrifying, to be honest.
Yes, it’s great that he resigned, but that’s just the beginning of the story. We have to get to the bottom of this. We have to know what Michael Flynn told the Russian ambassador as well as any other ambassadors. According to Flynn, he talked to several, countless, ambassadors throughout December and January before the inauguration. What secrets did he spill? What promises did he make? What danger has he put the United States in? Those are the questions that will hopefully be answered in the coming days since Flynn has resigned.
As far as Republicans go, again, they don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to acknowledge that their party is so corrupt and dangerous that they’re incapable of leading this country. So yeah, they want us to move on. If the press has any integrity left, they won’t listen to that. They’ll keep pressing this issue, and they’ll find out what happened. Because every American citizen, today, has the right to know what secrets Michael Flynn spilled during those conversations.
