Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn is expected to take up the role of Donald Trump’s security adviser over the coming days.
Flynn is a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency (basically the Pentagon’s version of the CIA) but retired from his role in the DIA in 2014. He has been a vocal supporter of Trump throughout his campaign and famously called for Hillary Clinton to be arrested earlier this year.
“Lock her up! Yes, that’s right, lock her up!” Flynn shouted about Clinton during the Republican National Convention in July.
Flynn has also been a strong critic of Barack Obama and his tenure as President and, upon leaving his post as head of the DIA, claimed that America was more vulnerable to the threat of terrorism in 2014 than it was prior to the 9/11 attacks.
He was recently pictured sitting next to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow where he was paid to do a series of events including a speech and appearance at an anniversary for the TV station, Russia Today.
While Flynn was originally thought to be in line to take up the role of defense secretary, it would have required congressional approval, a process which could have resulted in a lengthy campaign and which ultimately may have ended in failure.
By placing him as national security advisor, Trump can avoid having one of his closest advisors being grilled on his policy by Congress and lawmakers.
But it’s a tweet from earlier this year that is garnering a lot of attention online – specifically the fact that a man who will help to shape the foreign and military policy of the White House clealry has such controversial (and that is putting it mildly) views on Islam.
Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions… https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU
— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016
