An exchange of messages in December 2016 between President-elect Donald Trump's national security aide, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, and a Russian envoy contained holiday greetings and nothing substantive was said, says incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer.
According to The Hill, Spicer's statement was in response to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who reported Thursday that Flynn and the envoy spoke "several times" the day that President Barack Obama announced the ejections of Russian intelligence operatives from the U.S.
Spicer said Flynn and the envoy, Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak, exchanged texts and planned to set up a future talk between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian embassy in Washington, D.C. refused to comment on the contact between Flynn and Kislyak, according to Sputnik International.
Flynn's opinions as Trump's security adviser appeared to run counter to Trump's choices for his Cabinet during this week's confirmation hearings, according to The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin.
In an opinion piece for The Post, Rubin said that Flynn is "erratic and temperamental."
Rubin notes Flynn likely would not have wanted Trump to see his potential future colleagues eviscerating many of Flynn's positions and assertions.
Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper fired the retired general from his job as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Since then, Flynn has said the intelligence community cannot be trusted and is politically biased, and Trump appears to be agreeing with Flynn's stance, Rubin wrote.
Trump's choice to run the Central Intelligence Agency, Kansas Rep. Mike Pompeo, however, expressed support for the intelligence community.
"I have great confidence in the men and women that work out there…I have the utmost confidence that if I'm confirmed, I will get an opportunity to lead a set of great Americans that aren't politicized."
Retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis, Trump's defense secretary choice, echoed Pompeo's opinion, saying he had a "very, very high level of confidence in our intelligence community."
While Flynn has been an advocate for Russia, Pompeo, Mattis, and Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, all view Russia as an opponent, Rubin notes.
The Post writer concluded that Flynn would have to tone down his rhetoric or face being at odds with his potential future colleagues in the Trump administration.
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