President Donald Trump said he would welcome retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn back to the White House.
Flynn served as Trump’s first national security adviser. The president fired him for allegedly lying to the vice president about his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.
During a Tuesday interview with CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge, Trump said he would bring Flynn back to the White House.
"I would. I think he's a great gentleman," Trump said. "He's a great — he's been in the military for many, many decades, actually. Highly respected. What General Flynn went through is so unfair."
Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI, but his sentence was delayed after he agreed to help with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Flynn has tried to withdraw his guilty plea. The Justice Department has moved to drop the criminal charges against him. The case is still working its way through the legal system.
"I don't think he's going to need a pardon because he's been proven to be innocent," the president said of Flynn. "I don't think he's going to need a pardon."
Trump has long defended Flynn and said he was a victim of a political witch hunt. A second Justice Department investigation looking into the origins of the first probe is currently underway.
Trump said he is not involved in the process.
“I've totally taken myself out of it," he said.
Trump did not say he regretted firing Flynn. He shifted the blame to other members of the administration whom he said gave him bad information.
"You have to understand. I was given information that he lied,” he said.
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