US President Donald Trump condemned actions by the administration of former President Barack Obama against Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, characterizing them as "treason" and suggesting that a "big price is going to be paid". While commenting on the case being dropped by the Department of Justice (DoJ), Trump lambasted the Obama administration as "scum" and "dishonest", accusing it of forcing "fine people" into being forced to lie.
"It's a disgrace, the Obama administration, Justice Department was a disgrace, very dishonest people, and they got caught. But much more of that... it's treason, Trump said to reporters, repeating, "it's treason".
He also said that he is "very happy of General Flynn", noting that he "was and is a great warrior".
Trump on Flynn: What the Obama administration did was 'treason' pic.twitter.com/rUamkfqX3g
— @WADIBIG (@wadibig) May 7, 2020
Back in 2017, when the Flynn case began, Trump tweeted that he had to fire him because he "lied to [the] Vice President and the FBI" and pleaded guilty, and suggested that the moves were a shame particularly as, according to Trump, Flynn's actions were "lawful".
I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017
Trump's speech followed a motion filed on Thursday by the DoJ on dropping the case against Flynn, because a particular line of questioning taken by the FBI had "no legitimate investigative basis". Commenting on the motion, former FBI Director James Comey, who was in charge when Flynn was charged, said that "the DoJ has lost its way".
The DoJ has lost its way. But, career people: please stay because America needs you. The country is hungry for honest, competent leadership.
— James Comey (@Comey) May 7, 2020
Flynn entered his guilty plea with the FBI in 2017, admitting to having had a conversation with the Russian ambassador to the US on December 2016 prior to Trump's inauguration, making an attempt to prevent Russia from responding to sanctions imposed upon them. Flynn later backtracked on the deal, however, instead insisting that FBI had tricked him into lying.
