Vice President Mike Pence said he would be “happy” at the prospect of retired 3-star Gen. Michael Flynn returning to President Donald Trump’s administration in some capacity.
In an “Axios on HBO” interview given Friday in Iowa and set to air Monday night, Pence was questioned by Axios co-founder Mike Allen on the topic of the Justice Department’s dismissal of all charges against the former national security advisor.
“The president has talked about bringing him back to the administration. Is that fine with you?” asked Allen.
“I think Gen. Michael Flynn is an American patriot, and he served this country with great distinction in uniform,” Pence responded. “And now I believe the decision by the Justice Department lays bare what was clearly prosecutorial abuse, and for my part, I’d be happy to see Michael Flynn again.”
WATCH:
Trump, who openly expressed support for Flynn before the Justice Department’s decision, also has said he would “certainly consider” bringing him back.
Pence’s comments were particularly significant in light of the fact that Flynn was originally fired as national security adviser in February 2017 after being accused of lying to the vice president about his phone calls with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. (RELATED: ‘Rule Of Law Is At Risk’: Obama Weighs In On Flynn Case And Federal Coronavirus Response In Leaked Call)
A Flynn return could also mean a campaign role. “Trump insiders say they wouldn’t be surprised to see Flynn back on the campaign trail, where he was a warmup act for Trump in 2016,” Axios reported.