Trump, Jim Acosta Go Head to Head On ‘Dirty, Filthy Cops’ in Michael Flynn Case: He Was ‘Tormented’ by CNN

Conversations between President Donald Trump and CNN’s Jim Acosta typically erupt into incendiary affairs, but relatively speaking, the two had a cordial back-and-forth on Thursday on the subject of whether Michael Flynn would receive a presidential pardon.

For years, Flynn has been bogged down in legal battles, ever since Trump fired him as his White House national security advisor for lying to the FBI and to Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Russian officials. As the retired lieutenant general continues with his attempts to withdraw his guilty plea, Flynn’s lawyers have released a series of documents that prompted conservatives to accuse the FBI of entrapping him.

Trump railed against the case Thursday on Twitter, but during an Oval Office pool spray, Acosta asked if Trump would pardon Flynn. The CNN reporter also invoked the 2017 tweet in which the president said “I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies.”

I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017

Trump wouldn’t say whether he stands by that statement, deflecting instead to how Flynn was “tormented” by “dirty cops.” After he also called the Roger Stone case a “disgrace,” Trump pivoted to blast CNN by accusing them of being part of Flynn’s “torment.”

“CNN tormented him, in all fairness…I hope to see that CNN will — not even apologize, which they should, but just cover it fairly. Because he is in the process of being exonerated. If you look at those notes from yesterday, that was total exoneration. These were dirty, filthy cops at the top of the FBI. They were dishonest people. Now we have to see what’s going to happen. General Flynn was treated like nobody should.”

Trump was referring to the newly-revealed, handwritten note reportedly written by former FBI counterintelligence director Bill Priestap, who consulted with his colleagues years ago on how to interview Flynn about his charges. The note has prompted a new debate about whether the FBI was using standard tactics to catch Flynn in a lie, or if this evolved into an entrapment attempt to prosecute him and damage Trump by extension.

“What’s our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” The note reads. “If we get him to admit to breaking the Logan Act, give facts to DOJ & have them decide. Or, if he initially lies, then we present him [redacted] & he admits it, document for DOJ, & let them decide how to address it.”

Acosta followed up by asking Trump if it was a “mistake” firing Flynn, which the president indirectly answered with a response about how “they were out to get him,” the prosecution was a “disgrace,” and Flynn is “essentially exonerated.”

Watch above, via Fox News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!