Donald Trump just spitefully handed Michael Flynn every reason to flip on him
Unless he’s managed to secretly flip on Donald Trump without anyone getting wind of it, Michael Flynn has remained remarkably loyal to Trump even as Special Counsel Robert Mueller and Congress have ripped his life – and his family – to pieces. So how is Trump rewarding Flynn for his personal loyalty? Apparently by making a point of helping out everyone involved in the Trump-Russia scandal except for Flynn.
On Saturday evening it was revealed that Trump has become so worried about people flipping on him, he’s finally decided to kick in $430,000 of his own money to help pay the mounting legal bills of his advisers and alleged co-conspirators (link). The Axios report does not specify who will receive the money – but it does make clear that Michael Flynn won’t get a dime of it. That’s surreal considering that Flynn is in arguably the most legal trouble of any Trump adviser, and he’s facing some of the most serious criminal charges.
Moreover, Flynn may be in position to do the most damage to Donald Trump by flipping on him. Flynn was knee deep in communicating with the Russian government during the campaign and the transition period, and it’s likely that Flynn knows precisely how Trump himself was clandestinely communicating with the Kremlin during the election. While other former underlings like Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer could help take Trump down for obstruction, Flynn could help take Trump down for treasonous election-rigging. So why on earth is Trump giving Flynn the finger by spreading around a bit of legal defense money to everyone but Flynn?
Michael Flynn claims he doesn’t want Donald Trump’s money anyway, but that may simply be an attempt on his part at saving face after Trump snubbed him. As investigators now begin to target Flynn’s son in the Trump-Russia scandal as well, Trump may have just handed Flynn the additional motivation he needs to go ahead and flip.
