Flynn situation is 'fluid,' source says

By Jim Acosta, Sara Murray and Dan Merica, CNN

Updated 8:14 PM ET, Mon February 13, 2017
Spicer: Trump evaluating Flynn situation
sean spicer reaction comments michael flynn islamism video intv tsr_00011418.jpg
Spicer: Gen. Flynn understands the threat
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn delivers a speech on the first day of the Republi
can National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
, Ohio.
Flynn's views a departure from US policy
Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Michael Flynn testifies
before the House Select Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats in the House
Visitors Center of the US Capitol on February 4, 2014 in Washington, DC. AFP PH
OTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Who is Michael Flynn?
Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Michael Flynn testifies
before the House Select Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats in the House
Visitors Center of the US Capitol on February 4, 2014 in Washington, DC. AFP PH
OTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Flynn: "Don't know if Roe v. Wade" should be overturned
lt. gen. michael flynn donald trump vice president intv cuomo nd_00005522.jpg
Potential Trump VP: I will vote for him no matter what
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn delivers a speech on the first day of the Republi
can National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
, Ohio.
Retired general: Going into Iraq was a failure
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn delivers a speech on the first day of the Republi
can National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
, Ohio.
Analyst: Flynn must be smartest guy in room
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn arrives at the Trump Tower for meetings with US P
resident-elect Donald Trump, in New York on November 17, 2016.
Flynn's handling of classified info questioned
Spicer: Trump evaluating Flynn situation
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: National Security Adviser Michael Flynn sits befor
e U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold a join
t press conference at the White House on February 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Th
e two answered questions from American and Japanese press. (Photo by Mario Tama/
Getty Images)
Spicer: Trump is evaluating Flynn situation
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 01: National Security Adviser Michael Flynn answers qu
estions in the briefing room of the White House February 1, 2017 in Washington,
DC. Flynn said the White House is "officially putting Iran on notice"
for a recent missile test and support for Houthi rebels in Yemen. (Photo by Win
McNamee/Getty Images)
Report: Flynn talked sanctions with Russia
Retired United States Army lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn introduces Republ
ican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump before he delivered a speech at The Un
ion League of Philadelphia on September 7, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. T
rump spoke about his plans to build up the military if elected. Recent national
polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the electio
n.
Analyst: Flynn disrespecting the presidency
Retired United States Army lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn introduces Republ
ican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump before he delivered a speech at The Un
ion League of Philadelphia on September 7, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. T
rump spoke about his plans to build up the military if elected. Recent national
polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the electio
n.
Michael Flynn: Iran officially on notice
Christie on Flynn: 'One president at a time'
Pence: Flynn's son not official aide
Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn talks to media as he arrives at Trump Tower in New
York with his son, Michael Flynn Jr., behind him.
General: Flynn must reconcile Muslim remarks
sean spicer reaction comments michael flynn islamism video intv tsr_00011418.jpg
Spicer: Gen. Flynn understands the threat
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn delivers a speech on the first day of the Republi
can National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
, Ohio.
Flynn's views a departure from US policy
Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Michael Flynn testifies
before the House Select Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats in the House
Visitors Center of the US Capitol on February 4, 2014 in Washington, DC. AFP PH
OTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Who is Michael Flynn?
Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Michael Flynn testifies
before the House Select Intelligence Committee on worldwide threats in the House
Visitors Center of the US Capitol on February 4, 2014 in Washington, DC. AFP PH
OTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Flynn: "Don't know if Roe v. Wade" should be overturned
lt. gen. michael flynn donald trump vice president intv cuomo nd_00005522.jpg
Potential Trump VP: I will vote for him no matter what
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn delivers a speech on the first day of the Republi
can National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
, Ohio.
Retired general: Going into Iraq was a failure
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn delivers a speech on the first day of the Republi
can National Convention on July 18, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
, Ohio.
Analyst: Flynn must be smartest guy in room
Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn arrives at the Trump Tower for meetings with US P
resident-elect Donald Trump, in New York on November 17, 2016.
Flynn's handling of classified info questioned
Spicer: Trump evaluating Flynn situation
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 10: National Security Adviser Michael Flynn sits befor
e U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold a join
t press conference at the White House on February 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. Th
e two answered questions from American and Japanese press. (Photo by Mario Tama/
Getty Images)
Spicer: Trump is evaluating Flynn situation
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 01: National Security Adviser Michael Flynn answers qu
estions in the briefing room of the White House February 1, 2017 in Washington,
DC. Flynn said the White House is "officially putting Iran on notice"
for a recent missile test and support for Houthi rebels in Yemen. (Photo by Win
McNamee/Getty Images)
Report: Flynn talked sanctions with Russia
Retired United States Army lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn introduces Republ
ican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump before he delivered a speech at The Un
ion League of Philadelphia on September 7, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. T
rump spoke about his plans to build up the military if elected. Recent national
polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the electio
n.
Analyst: Flynn disrespecting the presidency
Retired United States Army lieutenant general Michael T. Flynn introduces Republ
ican Presidential nominee Donald J. Trump before he delivered a speech at The Un
ion League of Philadelphia on September 7, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. T
rump spoke about his plans to build up the military if elected. Recent national
polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the electio
n.
Michael Flynn: Iran officially on notice
Christie on Flynn: 'One president at a time'
Pence: Flynn's son not official aide
Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn talks to media as he arrives at Trump Tower in New
York with his son, Michael Flynn Jr., behind him.
General: Flynn must reconcile Muslim remarks
Story highlights
"The knives are out," the official said
"I don't have any answers today," Miller said
(CNN)The situation around embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn rema
ins "fluid" Monday night, according to a source with knowledge.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement saying President Dona
ld Trump is "evaluating the situation" around Flynn, who is in hot water after p
ossibly misleading Vice President Mike Pence.
The issue stems from whether Flynn discussed sanctions against Russia with the R
ussian ambassador before Trump took office and then misled Pence about it. It cr
eated a turbulent 72 hours for the White House, leading to questions about Flynn
's future after only three weeks.
"The President is evaluating the situation," Spicer's statement said. "He's spea
king to the vice president relative to the conversation the vice president had w
ith Gen. Flynn, and also speaking to various other people about what he consider
s the single most important subject there is: our national security."
The noncommittal statement came shortly after Kellyanne Conway, the counselor to
the President, told reporters that Trump has "full confidence" in Flynn.
"Gen. Flynn does enjoy the full confidence of the President," Conway said on MSN
BC. She later declined to detail how much the President knew about the issue and
when he knew it, deeming those conversation private.
Many inside the Trump administration are concerned with the fact that the nation
al security adviser could have misled senior members of the White House, includi
ng Pence, who went on television and denied that Flynn spoke about sanctions wit
h Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador to Washington.
Trump, who particularly hates when aides generate negative press, has expressed
displeasure with Flynn to aides in recent days, said a source close to the Presi
dent. Trump and his team are particularly bothered by the possibility that Flynn
misrepresented his conversations to Pence.
Flynn spoke with Pence at least twice Friday, according to another White House o
fficial who declined to say whether the conversations were about the ongoing con
troversy. The episode over sanctions against Russia has opened a rift between Fl
ynn and Pence, who exchanged a chilly handshake Friday before Trump's news confe
rence with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Flynn also apologized to Pence and a source says the two "smoothed things over."
"The knives are out," the official added, acknowledging that Flynn's future in t
he White House is hardly a sure thing. "There's a lot of unhappiness about this.
"
Christie on Flynn: 'One president at a time'
Christie on Flynn: 'One president at a time'
Christie on Flynn: 'One president at a time' 02:13
The Flynn-Russia phone call: How it unfolded
12/29/2016: US announces new sanctions against Russia. Michael Flynn and Russian
ambassador Sergey Kislyak speak on the phone.
1/15/2017: The Washington Post first reports on the call. Vice President Mike Pe
nce says Flynn didn't discuss sanctions.
1/16: Trump officials say the call was focused on scheduling a call between Trum
p and Putin.
1/23: US officials say investigators are scrutinizing several calls between Flyn
n and Russia's ambassador. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says Flynn to
ld him that sanctions were not discussed on the calls.
2/10: An aide close to Flynn says he can not rule out that Flynn spoke about san
ctions on the call.
2/10: Trump says he is unaware of reports that Flynn may have spoken about sanct
ions during the calls and says he will "look into that."
2/10: A US official confirms that Flynn and Kislyak did speak about sanctions, a
mong other matters.
2/12: White House policy director Stephen Miller says: "I don't have any informa
tion one way or another to add anything to the conversation."
2/13: Russia again denies all allegations to CNN: "We have already said there ha
ven't been any."
Administration officials, some of who were once unsure about the details of the
story, now believe the national security adviser did, in fact, discuss sanctions
with the Russian ambassador. A US official confirmed to CNN on Friday that Flyn
n and Kislyak did speak about sanctions, among other matters, during a December
call, contradicting past statements by White House officials.
After the call was made public, Pence told CBS News on January 15 that Flynn did
not talk sanctions levied by the Obama administration with Kislyak.
"They did not discuss anything having to do with the United States' decision to
expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia," Pence told CBS News.
On Friday, an aide close to the national security adviser told CNN that Flynn co
uld not rule out that he spoke about sanctions on the call.
The White House official blamed much of the outcry against Flynn on a Washington
culture that's always in search of a scalp, but people within Trump's orbit wer
e unable to defend Flynn on Sunday.
Stephen Miller, White House policy director, was asked directly about Flynn's fu
ture on a number of Sunday talk shows. Miller responded by saying he was not the
appropriate official to ask the question, hardly a ringing endorsement from the
aide the Trump administration put out to talk on Sunday.
"I don't have any answers today," Miller said in response to questions about whe
ther Flynn misled the vice president. "I don't have any information one way or a
nother to add anything to the conversation."
Report: Flynn talked sanctions with Russia
Report: Flynn talked sanctions with Russia
Report: Flynn talked sanctions with Russia 02:38
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a longtime Trump ally, told CNN's Jake Tapper Fl
ynn needs to clear up his story with Trump and Pence in an interview Sunday on "
State of the Union."
The White House official, pushing back against the idea that Flynn spoke about s
anctions, raised questions about the uproar surrounding Flynn and poked holes in
the criticism coming from the general's detractors.
Why, the official said, would a general with years of experience in the intellig
ence field jeopardize his career by discussing something he likely knew was bein
g recorded.
Franken: Flynn was 'lying' or 'forgot' about Russia talks
Franken: Flynn was 'lying' or 'forgot' about Russia talks
Trump is also deeply loyal to Flynn: Their relationship stretches further back t
han many of the national security adviser's White House counterparts.
While Trump's top White House advisers like chief of staff Reince Priebus and ch
ief strategist Steve Bannon only came aboard after Trump secured the Republican
nomination, Flynn was an early supporter and joined Trump's campaign as his top
foreign policy adviser in early 2016.
But Flynn was not just a policy adviser. He also played the role of top surrogat
e on the campaign trail, seeking to boost Trump's national security bona fides a
nd also leading the charge on political attacks against Trump's Democratic rival
Hillary Clinton.
Flynn was also a contender to join Trump on the Republican ticket as his running
mate. But even after he wasn't tapped for the vice presidency, Flynn continued
to travel with Trump to most of his political rallies as one of his most trusted
advisers in his small circle of aides.
"It's a problem," a senior White House adviser said Friday about the possibility
that Flynn misled Pence.
CNN's Gloria Borger, Jeremy Diamond, Kevin Liptak, Jeff Zeleny and Elizabeth Lan
ders contributed to this report.