President Donald Trump says he would give his former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn a new post in the administration.
During an interview with CBS News’ Cather Herridge on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would give Flynn a post in the administration again.
“I would, I think he’s a great gentleman,” Trump said, adding, “He’s been in the military for many, many decades actually — highly respected.”
Trump went on to lament what he claimed was the unfair investigation and prosecution of Flynn.
“What Gen. Flynn went through was so unfair, and he’s still going through it. If he were a Democrat that never would have happened, number one, and number two, if it did happen, it would have been an immediate exoneration … with us it’s always harder,” he continued.
Watch the interview below:
President Trump tells @CBS_Herridge that he would have Michael Flynn, his former national security advisor, come back to the White House: “I think he’s a great gentleman.” https://t.co/7svROB14Un pic.twitter.com/G0G07CRzqd
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 15, 2020
In May, the Department of Justice filed a motion in court to drop Flynn’s prosecution, as IJR reported.
“We do not believe that the Government can prove either the relevant false statements or their materiality beyond a reasonable doubt,” the department said in its filing.
Flynn had previously pleaded guilty to make false statements to the FBI during an interview in 2017.
However, the Justice Department said, “The Government is not persuaded that the January 24, 2017 interview was conducted with a legitimate investigative basis and therefore does not believe Mr. Flynn’s statements were material even if untrue.”
Additionally, the department said it determined that “continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice.”
Before the Justice Department filed to drop its prosecution of Flynn, Trump was asked if he would pardon him.
Trump cited newly uncovered documents related to Flynn’s case and said, “It looks to me like Michael Flynn would be exonerated based on everything I see.”
“But I don’t know that anyone would have to use that power. I think he’s exonerated. I’ve never seen anything like it. What they did. What they wrote. … It’s just disgraceful,” he added.
At the time, Trump was asked if he would consider giving Flynn a job in the administration, and he said, “I would certainly consider it, yeah, I would, I think he’s a fine man.”
And Vice President Mike Pence also previously weighed in on whether he would be comfortable with Flynn coming back to the administration, “I think General Michael Flynn is an American patriot, and he served this country with great distinction in uniform.”
“And now, I believe the decision by the Justice Department lays bare what was clearly prosecutorial abuse, and for my part, I’d be happy to see Michael Flynn again,” he added.
Trump had previously said that he fired Flynn for lying to Pence and the FBI.