President Donald Trump said he felt "badly" for his former national security adviser Michael Flynn in light of a possible investigation over his activities with the Russian government after retiring as an Army lieutenant general.
The president made the statement in an interview with Fox News set to air Friday evening, the Washington Examiner reported Friday.
"Well let me just tell you, I do feel badly for him. He served the country. He was a general," Trump said.
The White House has fielded questions over the vetting process and Flynn's past. Problems came to light early in the Trump administration over conversations Flynn had with Russian officials before the president took office. Flynn resigned in February amid accusations he had misled White House officials and Vice President Mike Pence.
It was revealed earlier this month in updated financial records Flynn filed that he had received income from Russia Today television and two Russian companies, and that he had also lobbied on behalf of the Turkish government, The Hill reported.
Trump maintained it was the administration of President Barack Obama that originally gave Flynn security approval.
"Just remember, he was approved by the Obama administration at the highest level," Trump told Fox News. "And, when they say we didn't vet, well Obama, I guess, didn't vet, because he was approved at the highest level of security by the Obama administration."
"So, when he came into our administration, for a short period of time, he came in, he was already approved by the Obama administration and he had years left on that approval," he added.
Flynn also served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.