Trump Urged to Dump Anti-Muslim Flynn as National Security Adviser

The appointment of Michael Flynn as a national security adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump will hurt the nation’s image abroad and raise security risks, a letter signed Monday by 53 US nonprofits warned.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The organizations, which say they represent millions of Americans, accused the 57-year-old of having ties to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They pointed out that Flynn now regularly attendes Trump’s classified intelligence briefings while advising foreign governments on intel and cybersecurity.

"We feel General Flynn is unfit for serving in this critical post. His appointment will damage America’s standing in the world and pose a threat to our national security," the letter published by a pro-Israel group, J Street, read.

The message addressed to Trump cited Retired Lt. General Flynn’s history of "bigoted and deceitful" statements, such as saying that "fear of Muslims is rational," calling Islam "a cancer" and sharing anti-Semitic tweets.