Tweets that he fired Flynn for lying to FBI, fueling obstruction-of-justice questions

Trump tweeted that he fired Michael Flynn 'because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI,' two days after Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about Russia contacts. Legal experts said the tweet appeared to confirm Trump knew Flynn had lied to the FBI at the time of his February 2017 firing — a day before he allegedly pressured then-FBI Director James Comey to drop the Flynn investigation, raising obstruction-of-justice concerns. Trump's personal attorney John Dowd later claimed he drafted the tweet himself, a claim multiple legal experts found implausible. The following day, Trump publicly denied ever asking Comey to stop the Flynn probe, directly contradicting Comey's sworn congressional testimony.

"I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!" Quote verified against source