Comey: Trump was upset at Flynn for not telling him first post-inauguration call was from Putin

President Trump was displeased with his short-lived national security adviser Michael Flynn last year after Flynn failed to tell him for several days that he had received a congratulatory phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to memos written by former FBI Director James Comey.

Comey claims in memos released Thursday that Trump was unhappy with his top aide after Flynn revealed the call during a conversation between Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

{mosads}

The admission apparently happened right after Trump had thanked May for being the first foreign leader to offer a congratulatory call after Trump’s election victory. Flynn, according to the memos, then said Putin had called nearly a week beforehand.

Trump’s anger with Flynn seemed to stem from his belief that six days, the length of time between the call and Flynn’s revelation, was too long to make it appropriate for the president to return the call, Comey wrote.

“The guy has serious judgment issues,” Trump later told Comey of Flynn, according to the memos. Flynn was later fired for misleading Vice President Pence regarding his own communication with Russian officials, and has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Comey’s memos, which detailed his conversations with Trump that Comey has said made him feel uneasy, were supplied to Congress on Thursday as part of the investigation into possible misuse of authority at the FBI and Justice Department. Within hours, they had been posted in full online.

The former FBI director is currently on a national book tour promoting his memoir, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” which details his life as well as his brief tenure serving in the Trump administration.

The White House has responded to claims made by Comey in the book and subsequent interviews by accusing the former FBI chief of dishonesty and partisanship.

–Updated at 8:12 a.m.

Tags Comey memos Donald Trump FBI James Comey Russia White House

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Most Popular

Load more