Sin like Flynn
by Clay Jones
What did the president know and when did he know it?
That was an often repeated question during the Watergate crisis. With the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn, that is one of many questions being asked, except by most Republicans.
Flynn talked to the Russian ambassador during the transition. He claimed he never talked about foreign policy or sanctions being placed upon Russia by the Obama administration. Vice President Mike Pence went on the airwaves to repeat that claim. It was a lie.
Flynn changed his story from did not to I don’t know. As it turns out he not only talked to Russia during the transition, he talked to government officials during the campaign. Other members of Trump’s campaign did the same. One of the many questions is “who were those people?”
Two weeks ago then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates told the White House what Flynn did, and that he was a threat to be blackmailed by Russia. Donald Trump fired her for refusing to defend his Muslim ban. He fired one person for doing her job and kept the guy on staff who committed treason and was posing a threat, not just to the administration, but to the nation.
After The Washington Post reported the story that the FBI and the Justice Department were on to Flynn, and had questioned him, Trump claimed he didn’t know the report even existed. His claim was about 16 hours after the Post story was published. It’s unclear if he was talking about the Post story or the report from the FBI. I think he was lying about both. It’s weird the guy believes in things that doesn’t exist but denies stuff that’s actually happening.
Kellyanne Conway went on TV Monday to say Michael Flynn had Trump’s confidence. A few hours later Flynn resigned. Not only has Kellyanne lost all confidence with the press, but apparently also with the White House. She’s not even in the loop anymore but she can probably tell you how much Ivanka Trump’s bangles cost.
Flynn resigned and the reasoning is that he lost Trump’s confidence. When did he lose the confidence? Trump knew he lied weeks ago. Trump didn’t fire, or make him resign, until The Washington Post reported on his conversations with Russia. The Trump administration doesn’t have a problem with him undermining government policy. Their “official” problem is that he lied to Mike Pence. Reportedly Trump knew weeks ago that he lied and didn’t inform Pence that he had defended a lie. There’s a whole bunch of people Pence should be pissed with if that sort of stuff is important to him.
The bigger questions here concern Trump himself, his ties to Russia, and whether or not his team coordinated with Putin’s government to sabotage the Clinton campaign.
Trump claimed he loved Wikileaks. He asked Putin to hack and release information on Clinton. The man is incapable of criticizing Putin and even defends him and puts him on an equal level with the U.S. government. To distract for Russia’s involvement in our election Trump has created the lie of massive voter fraud (even though he won).
Trump’s biggest complaint publicly is that there were leaks about Flynn’s chit chat with the Russians. Trump, the man who loves Wikileaks and asks foreign governments to release private information.
Is it believable that the incoming national security adviser talked to Russia about sanctions without the president elect’s knowledge? Is it believable they talked during the campaign without Trump in on it, or even without his direction?
Two Republicans want this investigated. They’re Lindsey Graham and John McCain. Others, like Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, says the problem will work itself out. Others in Congress say if it’s investigated, then it should be private, not held publicly multiple times like all those Benghazi investigations.
Donald Trump told us he’d hire the best for his administration. General Michael Flynn was not the best. He was incapable of doing his job. Most career military men don’t become partisans. Flynn promoted the lie about Clinton being involved in a child-sex-slave scheme at a pizza parlor. Flynn led “lock her up” chants at the GOP convention and said he’d be in prison if he did a tenth of what Hillary Clinton had done.
Fortunately for Flynn, he did a lot more than a tenth so maybe he won’t go to prison for that.
Most national security advisers last for only two years. Flynn only lasted 21 days. Who’s next to go from the Trump administration? How long will the Trump presidency last? This is an administration of dishonesty, lies, ineptness, clumsiness, stupidity, and chaos.
Creative notes: Having heterosexuals in bed together as a metaphor for being in cahoots might be one of those cliches I should retire, like things going over cliffs, sinking ships, mazes, air balloons, Pinocchios, and Santa’s lap. But I thought it might be a twist throwing in all the individuals who have ties to Russia. Plus, I had a lot of fun with all the creepy details. What can I say? I’m a very disturbed person.
I enjoyed all these caricatures but I especially enjoyed drawing Flynn. I hope there are multiple investigations so I can keep drawing the guy.
Clay Jones can be contacted at [email protected]