Half of Michael Flynn's rhapsodic resignation letter was in praise of Trump

(Image credit: George Frey/Getty Images)

published 14 February 2017

With its effusive praise and admiring tone, Michael Flynn's resignation letter could double as an early valentine to President Trump.

After less than a month on the job, Flynn, Trump's national security adviser, stepped down Monday night after a new report was published saying the Justice Department had warned the White House that Flynn discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump's inauguration, and could be subject to Russian blackmail. Flynn began his resignation letter by describing what he said his duties were as national security adviser, and said he apologized to Vice President Mike Pence and Trump for "inadvertently" briefing Pence and others with "incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador."

With the formalities out of the way, Flynn launched into a full-fledged gush-fest, saying Trump "in just three weeks has reoriented American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America's leadership position in the world." He thanked Trump for "his personal loyalty" and friendship, and then paid him the ultimate compliment: "I know with the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in U.S. history, and I firmly believe the American people will be well served as they all work together to help Make America Great Again."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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