White House in damage control over Flynn

WASHINGTON: The new US administration was in damage control on Tuesday as questions lingered over the ouster of the White House national security adviser just 25 days after President Donald Trump took office.

Members of Congress voiced support for the removal of retired general Michael Flynn, who quit after admitting that he had made misleading statements about contacts with Russia.

Flynn reportedly discussed lifting sanctions on Moscow with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on December 29, the same day that then- president Barack Obama announced the measures in response to Russialinked hacking against the Democratic Party.

Flynn, a retired US Army general, said that he “inadvertently” gave then vice-president-elect Mike Pence and others “incomplete information” about those talks.

Trump named retired general Joseph Keith Kellogg as acting national security adviser.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told broadcaster NBC News that Flynn, who was an early and vociferous Trump supporter during the US presidential campaign, “knew he’d become a lightning rod, and he made that decision” to quit.

She said she spoke early on Tuesday with Trump, and said “the president is moving forward” after the resignation, with three “very strong” candidates for Flynn’s permanent replacement.

US media have reported that the Justice Department alerted the White House already last month that Flynn might have mischaracterised the content of his talks with Kislyak.