Sen. John McCain said the resignation of national security adviser Mike Flynn is a “troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus.”
McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has launched an investigation in Russian hacking and meddling in the U.S. election, thanked Flynn for his many years of “distinguished service to the country, especially his invaluable contributions in the fight against terrorism.”
The Arizona Republican, however, argued that Flynn’s resignation Monday night amid reports that he talked to the Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions before President Trump became president and then lied about it is a sign of how chaotic the National Security Council has become.
“As our nation confronts the most complex and diverse array of global challenges since the end of World War II, it is imperative that the president select a new national security adviser who is empowered by clear lines of authority and responsibility and possesses the skills and experience necessary to organize the national security system across our government,” he said.
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, was more succinct in an official statement, arguing that Flynn “served his country with distinction” and said only that Trump “needs a national security adviser whom he can trust, and I defer to him to decide who best fills that role.”
McCain went much further in criticizing the administration. Allegations of Flynn’s ties to Russia during and immediately after the presidential campaign, he said, “raises further questions about the Trump administration’s intentions toward Vladimir Putin’s Russia, including statements by the president suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections.
“American policy toward Russia must be made clear and unequivocal: We will honor our commitments to our NATO allies, we will maintain and enhance our deterrent posture in Europe, we will hold Russian violators of human rights accountable for their actions, and we will maintain sanctions on Russia so long as it continues to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said.
“As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I look forward to working with the President’s administration, especially [Defense] Secretary [Jim] Mattis, to defend the nation and support our military service members,” he said.
