Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Michael Flynn’s brother has a totally surprising request for Trump: pardon Michael Flynn

“About time you pardoned General Flynn who has taken the biggest fall for all of you.”

Michael Flynn
Michael Flynn
Michael Flynn
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Michael Flynn’s brother would really like President Trump to pardon Michael Flynn.

In a tweet that has since been deleted, Joseph Flynn said that his brother, Trump’s disgraced former national security adviser, had “taken the biggest fall” and deserved to be pardoned.

“About time you pardoned General Flynn who has taken the biggest fall for all of you given the illegitimacy of this confessed crime in the wake of all this corruption,” Flynn wrote.

Michael Flynn pleaded guilty on December 1 to lying to FBI agents, and failing to disclose conversations he had with former Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, during the 2016 presidential campaign. He was the first senior White House official to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

On December 26, President Trump complained, yet again, about the legitimacy of the Mueller campaign on Twitter, which prompted Joseph Flynn to respond. He deleted his original tweet, and rephrased his request later that day:

It’s not clear if the president is listening: Trump told reporters on December 15 that he’s not willing to talk about pardons for Flynn at this time. “We’ll see what happens,” he said.

This is the latest twist in the endless saga of Michael Flynn

Flynn’s guilty plea related to an interview with FBI agents on January 24, 2017, just days after President Donald Trump took office and Flynn began serving as his top national security aide.

According to the court documents, Flynn made false statements to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador regarding whether Trump would be willing to lift sanctions that the outgoing Obama administration had imposed on Moscow.

In addition to Flynn, special counsel Robert Mueller has charged three other members of the Trump campaign, including former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. George Papadopoulos, a campaign foreign policy adviser, also pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the campaign.

Politics
Trump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expectedTrump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expected
Politics

As Trump heads to China, attention and resources are being shifted from Asia to yet another war in the Middle East.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Are far-right politics just the new normal?Are far-right politics just the new normal?
Politics

Liberals are preparing for a longer war with right-wing populists than they once expected.

By Zack Beauchamp
Podcasts
Did Trump actually help Venezuela?Did Trump actually help Venezuela?
Podcast
Podcasts

Post-Maduro, some Venezuelans are feeling cautiously optimistic.

By Ariana Aspuru and Sean Rameswaram
Politics
5 ways the Iran standoff could end5 ways the Iran standoff could end
Politics

Is the US on the verge of a deal with Iran or a return to war?

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Ukraine’s fight against Russia is going better than you might thinkUkraine’s fight against Russia is going better than you might think
Politics

The war in Iran looked like a gift for Russia. It hasn’t worked out that way.

By Joshua Keating
The Logoff
Why Trump says the US-Iran war is overWhy Trump says the US-Iran war is over
The Logoff

Trump’s plan to evade an Iran deadline, briefly explained.

By Cameron Peters