Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) said that it’s time to “move on” from the news that Michael Flynn resigned Monday as President Donald Trump’s national security adviser.
“I’m not going to ... dwell on the situation,” Collins, a member of Trump’s transition team, told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Tuesday. “Let’s move on. We’ve got a lot of issues to deal with.”
Flynn resigned late Monday following revelations about his ties to Russia. The Washington Post reported last week that Flynn had engaged in potentially illegal discussions with Russia’s ambassador about easing U.S. sanctions against the country in the days following former President Barack Obama’s imposition of the penalties. Then, on Monday night, the Post revealed that the Department of Justice told the Trump administration weeks ago that Flynn was susceptible to Russian blackmail in light of those discussions.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who spent months and millions of dollars investigating Hillary Clinton’s handling of the 2012 Benghazi attack as well as her email use, said that he does not plan to probe Flynn’s behavior.
Meanwhile, Trump reacted to Flynn’s resignation by complaining about the media.
When asked why more Republicans hadn’t commented on the news, Collins joked that his colleagues were too busy tending to matters of the heart to address Flynn’s sudden departure.
“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Collins said. “I guess they’re having breakfast with their wives.”
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