Donald Trump’s national security adviser Michael Flynn has resigned after weeks of speculation over links to Russian ambassador and a day of intense pressure over whether President Trump and the Vice-president Mike pence still back his pack.
Flynn’s resignation came late at night at around 11 pm Washington DC, after further news reported that the White House had been warned last month by the then acting attorney General Sally Yates, before she was fired for advising justice department lawyers that the travel ban was not lawful and that Flynn was vulnerable to blackmail.
According to transcripts of intercepted calls between Russian ambassador to the U.S. and Flynn it was evident that the two had discussed sanctions ahead of Trump’s inauguration, this happened when Flynn was part of the transition team but he had not yet been confirmed officially as the national security adviser.
President Barack Obama had imposed the sanctions after US agencies concluded that Moscow had interfered in the US election campaign.
Michael Flynn conceded in his resignation letter that he had misled the Vice-president Mike Pence who had previously publicly denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyev.
Flynn pointed out that due to the fast pace of the events that had been taking place, his chose to inadvertently brief the Vice-president and others with incomplete information regarding his phone calls with the Russian ambassador. Flynn also emphasized that he had sincerely apologized to the President and that he has accepted his apology.
Reports state that Keith Kellogg has been appointed as the acting national security adviser. Both Keith Kellogg, Robert Howard and David Petraeus met Trump in the White House on Tuesday since they are in the run to succeed Flynn.
