By Douglas V. Gibbs
Before the name Michael Flynn became a lightning rod in the political firestorm surrounding President Trump, he was a decorated three-star lieutenant general with over three decades of service to the United States. Flynn’s military career was defined by his relentless pursuit of truth, his reformist zeal within the intelligence community, and his commitment to dismantling bureaucratic inefficiencies that endangers national security.
Flynn life before working with Donald Trump was one of a patriotic legacy. He was Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA): Appointed by President Obama in 2012, Flynn served until 2014. His tenure was marked by internal clashes with entrenched bureaucrats who resisted his efforts to reform intelligence operations. Was it at that time that Flynn realized his Democratic Party label was not who he really was? He’s a Combat Intelligence Veteran: Flynn played key roles in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning multiple Bronze Stars and commendations. And he’s always been an Outspoken Critic of Politicized Intelligence, warning against the politicization of intelligence and the dangers of groupthink within the national security apparatus. That made him a threat to the progressive establishment long before Trump entered the picture.
Flynn’s appointment as National Security Adviser in Trump’s first term sent shockwaves through the progressive deep state. He was not just a Trump ally—he was an insider who knew where the bodies were buried. That made him dangerous.
On January 5, 2017, a secretive Oval Office meeting took place. Attendees included President Obama, Vice President Biden, FBI Director James Comey, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, and outgoing National Security Adviser Susan Rice. The topic? Flynn.
Two weeks later, on January 20, 2017, Rice sent herself a bizarre email memorializing that meeting. She wrote that Obama stressed everything should be done “by the book,” yet the context suggests otherwise. The email revealed that Comey expressed concerns about Flynn’s communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, despite admitting there was no indication Flynn had shared classified information or was in any way connected to Russia as some kind of inside-the-beltway spy.
This was not a routine security briefing. It was a strategic maneuver to justify withholding intelligence from the incoming administration and to lay the groundwork for targeting Flynn.
On January 24, 2017, just four days into Trump’s presidency, the FBI ambushed Flynn with an unscheduled interview. Documents later revealed that FBI officials debated whether the goal was to “get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired”.
The DOJ under Attorney General William Barr later found that:
- Flynn was not under criminal suspicion at the time of the interview.
- The FBI had no derogatory information on Flynn.
- The interview was conducted without proper legal basis, violating standard procedures.
This was not justice. It was entrapment.
Flynn was a casualty of the broader Crossfire Hurricane operation—a counterintelligence investigation launched in 2016 to fabricate a narrative of Trump-Russia collusion. The Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign, was used to justify FISA warrants riddled with errors and omissions. Flynn’s name was repeatedly “unmasked” by Obama officials, including Biden, in a surveillance campaign that reeked of political espionage.
Flynn’s real crime? He threatened to expose the deep state’s abuse of power. His knowledge of intelligence operations and his loyalty to Trump made him a prime target.
Flynn’s guilty plea—later withdrawn—was coerced under threat to his son. The DOJ eventually moved to dismiss the case, and President Trump issued a full pardon in November 2020. Flynn has since filed a $50 million lawsuit against the federal government, alleging malicious prosecution and abuse of process.
General Michael Flynn is not a traitor. He is a patriot who stood in the way of a corrupt political machine determined to undermine a duly elected president. The January 5 meeting, the Rice email, the FBI ambush—all of it points to a coordinated effort to destroy a man who dared to challenge the status quo.
Flynn’s story is a warning: when the intelligence community becomes a political weapon, liberty itself is at risk. And as Mr. Constitution, I say this without hesitation—we must never allow the rule of law to be replaced by the rule of power.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Resources:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-crossfire-hurricane-flynn-fbi-misconduct
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/373738-rices-odd-memo-did-obama-withhold-intel-from-trump/
