And yet, what Flynn said — or, really, didn’t say — deserves far more attention than it got.
Flynn: Take the Fifth.
Cheney: Do you believe the violence on January 6 was justified legally?
Flynn: Fifth
Cheney: Do you believe in the peaceful transition of power in the United States of America?
Flynn: The Fifth
So, just to be crystal clear, Flynn cited his right not to incriminate himself when asked directly whether he believes in the peaceful transition of power. He refused to answer whether he believes in a principle that sits, literally, at the heart of American democracy.
And, he did this as the former national security adviser to the the President of the United States and a longtime member of the US military.
When you stop and think about all of that, it’s almost breathtaking.
Except when you consider what else Flynn has said over the past few years as he became more and more identified with the most extreme elements of Donald Trump’s base.
In June 2021, Flynn was asked a question about why the coup in Myanmar that had seen the military seize control of the government couldn’t (or shouldn’t) happen in the United States.
In December 2020, Flynn seemed to entertain the possibility of martial law to keep Trump in office.
Given all of that, it is deeply telling that Flynn pleaded the Fifth when asked whether he believed in a peaceful transfer of power. Because, well, he may not.