President Trump is “evaluating the situation” regarding national security adviser Mike Flynn’s role in the administration, the White House said Monday, amid allegations that Flynn had misled the vice president about the nature of his pre-inaugural conversation with Russia’s ambassador to the United States.
“The president is evaluating the situation,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement Monday evening. “He’s speaking to Vice President Pence relative to the conversation the vice president had with General Flynn and also speaking to various other people about what he considers the single most important subject there is — our national security.”
Spicer’s statement came within an hour of Kellyanne Conway’s assurance that Flynn has “the full confidence of the president.” Conway is counselor to Trump.
Flynn has come under fire for seemingly false statements he made to reporters and to Vice President Mike Pence about whether he discussed sanctions relief with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office.
Pence later repeated Flynn’s denial as fact.
Reports that indicate Flynn did indeed broach the topic of removing sanctions against Russia during his conversation with the Russian official have since surfaced, calling into question Flynn’s previous characterization of that conversation. In his most recent statement, Flynn has said he does not remember whether the issue of sanctions came up during the call with the Russian ambassador.
On Friday, Trump said he had not seen the reports about Flynn and promised to look into them.
Conway’s assurances on Monday marked the first time an administration official has spoken out in defense of Flynn since the allegations resurfaced late last week.
But Spicer’s statement seemingly contradicted Conway’s claim that Trump fully backs his embattled national security advisor. The press secretary suggested Flynn could still be shown the door, as critics have requested.
Democratic lawmakers have begun to call for Flynn’s resignation over what they have described as credibility issues.
