President Donald Trump says he would give his former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn a new post in the administration.Â
During an interview with CBS Newsâ Cather Herridge on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would give Flynn a post in the administration again.
âI would, I think heâs a great gentleman,â Trump said, adding, âHeâs been in the military for many, many decades actually â highly respected.â
Trump went on to lament what he claimed was the unfair investigation and prosecution of Flynn.
âWhat Gen. Flynn went through was so unfair, and heâs still going through it. If he were a Democrat that never would have happened, number one, and number two, if it did happen, it would have been an immediate exoneration ⌠with us itâs always harder,â he continued.
Watch the interview below:
In May, the Department of Justice filed a motion in court to drop Flynnâs prosecution, as IJR reported.
âWe do not believe that the Government can prove either the relevant false statements or their materiality beyond a reasonable doubt,â the department said in its filing.
Flynn had previously pleaded guilty to make false statements to the FBI during an interview in 2017.
However, the Justice Department said, âThe Government is not persuaded that the January 24, 2017 interview was conducted with a legitimate investigative basis and therefore does not believe Mr. Flynnâs statements were material even if untrue.â
Additionally, the department said it determined that âcontinued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice.â
Before the Justice Department filed to drop its prosecution of Flynn, Trump was asked if he would pardon him.
Trump cited newly uncovered documents related to Flynnâs case and said, âIt looks to me like Michael Flynn would be exonerated based on everything I see.â
âBut I donât know that anyone would have to use that power. I think heâs exonerated. Iâve never seen anything like it. What they did. What they wrote. ⌠Itâs just disgraceful,â he added.
At the time, Trump was asked if he would consider giving Flynn a job in the administration, and he said, âI would certainly consider it, yeah, I would, I think heâs a fine man.â
And Vice President Mike Pence also previously weighed in on whether he would be comfortable with Flynn coming back to the administration, âI think General Michael Flynn is an American patriot, and he served this country with great distinction in uniform.â
âAnd now, I believe the decision by the Justice Department lays bare what was clearly prosecutorial abuse, and for my part, Iâd be happy to see Michael Flynn again,â he added.
Trump had previously said that he fired Flynn for lying to Pence and the FBI.
