U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan says the president was right to ask for National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s resignation.
President Donald Trump fired Flynn Monday, amid the growing controversy surrounding a conversation Flynn had with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. about lifting sanctions on the country. Flynn did not disclose the December conversation, which took place before Trump was sworn in, to Vice President Mike Pence. Flynn called the omission inadvertent in his letter of resignation.
Asked to comment Tuesday, Ryan (R-WI) said he supports the president’s decision to ask Flynn to resign. “National security is perhaps the most important function or responsibility a president has…and I think the president made the right decision to ask for his resignation,” Ryan said. “You cannot have the national security adviser misleading the vice president and others.”
Democrats have called for an investigation into how revelations about Flynn’s conversation were handled by the White House. Ryan said he was not going to “prejudge” the decision. “I think the administration will explain the circumstances that led to this.”