Image Source: yaf.org
Heavy.com – Michael T. Flynn, the retired Army Lt. General reportedly asked by President Elect Donald Trump to be national security adviser, is an outspoken critic of the Obama administration and “radical Islam” who is also a father, grandfather, author, and surfing enthusiast.
He’s also a lifelong Democrat, although he’s said recently the Democratic Party isn’t the party he once knew. He was at Donald Trump’s side for months during the presidential campaign. The New York Post said it was not clear on November 17 whether Flynn had accepted the national security adviser post, which doesn’t require the Senate’s confirmation.
The Washington Post, and many other national media outlets, had said that Trump was vetting Flynn, a registered Democrat (according to Stars and Stripes) who has harshly criticized Hillary Clinton, as a possible VP choice for Trump. Trump picked Indiana Gov. Mike Pence instead, but he gave Flynn a prime speaking slot on the first night of the Republican National Convention, which was focused on safety issues. Flynn wasted no time in going after Clinton:
1. Flynn Wrote a Book on Defeating ‘Radical Islam’ & Once Said He Was ‘At War With Islam’
In February, Flynn created controversy when he Tweeted: “Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.” The Huffington Post said he linked “to a video with the same name that lists dozens of terror attacks committed by Muslims in the past decades.” The Daily Beast called Flynn “a brash, candid provocateur who seems more interested in upending whole systems than in fine-tuning them.” The Daily Caller said Flynn had predicted the Islamic State’s growth when he led the Defense Intelligence Agency.Flynn published a book on July 12 called “The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies.”
The book’s synopsis on Amazon, says, in part, “A war is being waged against us by radical Islamists, and, as current events demonstrate, they are only getting stronger. This book aims to inform the American people of the grave danger we face in the war on terror―and will continue to face―until our government takes decisive action against the terrorists that want nothing more than to destroy us and our way of life.”
2. Flynn Was Born in Rhode Island into a Family of Nine & Was an Athlete & Lifeguard
Flynn’s parents, Helen and Charles Flynn, had nine children; one of his brothers, Charlie Flynn, became a colonel who commanded the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq during the surge, The UniverNewportRI.com.
3. Flynn Married His High School Sweetheart & Likes Cheap Cars & Pizza
sity of Rhode Island said in a 2009 article. By 2011, Charles Flynn was a brigadier general, and his brother, Michael, pinned the star to his uniform, said
Flynn “married his high school sweetheart, Lori Andrade,” said the University of Rhode Island. The Flynns have been married for more than 30 years, and Lori’s Facebook page is filled with pictures of her husband and grandchildren.
The university quoted Flynn as saying: “Lori has been a steady presence in the lives of thousands of soldiers and their families during my numerous deployments and has played the role of not only mom, but dad, coach, teacher, and at times, taxi driver for our two sons, Michael and Matt, as well as for hundreds of other children. She’s always willing to volunteer her time for others.”
4. Flynn Was Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency & Is a Registered Democrat Who Has Given Different Positions on Abortion
Flynn deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency from spring 2012 to fall 2014, The Military Times said. “He has worked as an adviser on Trump’s primary campaign in recent months,” said The Military Times, adding that the retired general has “33 years of intelligence experience.”
On social issues, Flynn told ABC News that he supports a woman’s right to choose, saying: “I think women have to be able to choose…sort of, the right of choice,” said Flynn, adding, “They are the ones that have to make the decision because they’re the ones that are going to decide to bring up that child or not.” However, a short time later, Flynn appeared to change his position on abortion, saying, he was a “pro-life Democrat” and adding: “This pro-choice issue is a legal issue that should be decided by the courts. I believe in law. If people want to change the law, they should vote so that we can appoint pro-life judges. I believe the law should be changed.”
5. Flynn Was ‘Sacked’ By Obama & Has Claimed the Government Concealed the True Nature of the Terrorist Threat from the American People
The word sacked is used in Flynn’s own book introduction. It says: “Flynn has been a firsthand witness to government screw-ups, smokescreens, and censored information that our leaders don’t want us to know. A year before he was scheduled to retire, Flynn was sacked as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency for, among other things, telling a Congressional Committee that the American people are in more danger than we were just a few years ago.”
Stars and Stripes said Flynn “did not leave the Obama administration on warm terms,” adding that, “in 2014, he was effectively forced out of the Defense Intelligence Agency as part of a leadership shake-up after clashing with officials over his management style and vision for the agency.”
Flynn explained his firing, according to the New York Post, by saying he “knew then it had more to do with the stand I took on radical Islamism and the expansion of al Qaeda and its associated movements. I felt the intel system was way too politicized, especially in the Defense Department.”
Image Source: yaf.org
