Ryan defends Trump, declines to call for new Flynn probe

House Speaker Paul Ryan praised President Donald Trump for swiftly demanding his top national security aide Michael Flynn’s resignation – despite reports that indicate Flynn decided to step down on his own and that the White House sat on damaging information about Flynn’s ties to Russia for weeks.

"National security is perhaps the most important function or responsibility a president has. And I think the president made the right decision to ask for his resignation,” Ryan said Tuesday at a news conference. “You cannot have the national security adviser misleading the vice president and others."


Flynn stepped down Monday night amid a furor inside and outside the administration over secretive contacts with Russia’s ambassador late last year, and suggestions that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about those contacts. Though Flynn had long maintained that the conversations were superficial courtesies, reports citing intelligence sources suggested Flynn discussed the Obama administration’s sanctions on Russia for meddling in the 2016 election.

A Washington Post report on Monday indicated that acting attorney general Sally Yates warned the Trump administration weeks ago that Flynn may have been compromised and represented a security threat. But Flynn maintained his role atop the National Security Council until leaks about his Russian contacts made it into press reports.

Asked about the notion that the White House knew of Flynn’s deception for weeks, Ryan said, "I’m not going to prejudge any of the circumstances surrounding this.”

Ryan stopped short of calling for a new investigation of the Trump administration’s relationship with Russia. He noted that the House intelligence committee is already probing Russian interference in the 2016 election. Ryan also said it was reasonable for the Trump administration to pursue warmer ties with Russia as it settles into office.

"I’ve always been a Russia skeptic and hawk. New administrations these days try to get better relations with Russia,” he said, noting that the George W. Bush and Obama administrations both attempted to warm ties to its longtime adversary. “I understand it’s reasonable and rational to try to improve relations with Russia."



