It wasn't President Trump who told Michael Flynn 'you're fired' — it was reportedly Stephen Bannon
President Trump apparently had chief strategist Stephen Bannon do the dirty work of asking National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to resign, The New York Times reported Tuesday. Bannon had reportedly been pushing for the dismissal since Friday, when it first came to light that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his discussion with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Initially, Flynn denied he and Kislyak had discussed U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia over alleged interference ahead of the U.S. presidential election — a claim Pence then repeated — only to later admit they had, in fact, talked about the sanctions.
By Tuesday morning, different versions of the story of Flynn's resignation were floating around. Counselor Kellyanne Conway said earlier Tuesday that Flynn "had decided it was best to resign" and had "made that decision." Then, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) suggested during a press conference Tuesday morning that Trump had been the one to request Flynn's resignation, a claim that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer repeated at his afternoon press conference.
Apparently it was Trump's love of loyalty that inspired him to foist the responsibility off on Bannon. A person who "frequently speaks to Trump" told Politico the president was hesitant to give Flynn the axe because he doesn't "like to fire people who are loyal." "He has this reputation of being a 'you're fired' kind of guy," the Trump insider said, "but he really didn't want to have that conversation."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published