Matt Lauer grilled a possibly sleep-deprived Kellyanne Conway over Michael Flynn resigning as the national security adviser in a cringeworthy interview on Tuesday, February 14. Watch the intense exchange in the video above!
Breaking overnight, Flynn revealed that he would be leaving his duties, one month after the Justice Department warned President Donald Trump’s administration that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about a conversation that he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
“Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador,” Flynn wrote in his resignation letter, obtained by CNN. “I have sincerely apologized to the president and the vice president, and they have accepted my apology. I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way.”
Conway, 50, spoke about the situation to Lauer, 59, just hours later. “Yesterday afternoon on MSNBC you said that Michael Flynn enjoyed the full confidence of the president, [White House press secretary] Sean Spicer later said the president was evaluating the situation, and then Michael Flynn resigns overnight. Were you out of the loop on this?” Lauer asked on the Today show.
“No, not at all. Both were true,” Conway replied. “The president is very loyal, he’s a very loyal person, and by night’s end Michael Flynn had decided it was best to resign. He knew he’d become a lightening rod and he made that decision.”
Lauer wasn’t satisfied with her answer, however. Conway suggested that Flynn’s resignation was his own decision even though the administration knew a month ago that he misled them.
“You’re saying that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back, but the White House knew about that last month when the Justice Department warned the White House that [Flynn] had not been completely honest,” Lauer said. “Kellyanne, that makes no sense! Last month the Justice Department warned the White House that General Flynn had misled them! And that as a result he was vulnerable to blackmail and at that moment he still had the complete trust of the president?”
Conway didn’t directly answer the question. “[President Trump has] accepted General Flynn’s resignation, and he wishes him well,” she repeated. “And that we’re moving on.”
Watch the interview in the video above.
