Sean Spicer admits Trump knew Obama 'wasn't exactly a fan' of Gen. Flynn's

Jeva Lange's avatar
By
last updated
Sean Spicer.
(Image credit: Screenshot/CBS News)

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer deflected criticism about President Trump's judgment following earlier reports that former President Barack Obama had warned Trump against hiring ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

"It's true that President Obama made it known he wasn't exactly a fan of Gen. Flynn's, which frankly shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone given that Gen. Flynn had worked for President Obama, was an outspoken critic of President Obama's shortcomings," Spicer said. The press secretary then accused Obama of giving Flynn security clearance in the first place, although the Obama administration had fired Flynn in 2014 as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency because of "mismanagement and temperament issues."

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up

Watch Spicer respond to the question below. Jeva Lange

Explore More
Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.