President-Elect Trump Team: Adviser Spoke to Russia Official the Day U.S. Sanctions Were Announced
So Friday and Saturday trash dumps from the Trump admin are going to be worth watching going forward, something the public and reporters are going to have to get used to. Hopefully this won’t die before Tuesday.
Gen. Michael Flynn, President-elect Trump’s pick to be national security adviser, did speak to Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak by telephone on Dec. 29, the same day the Obama administration announced measures retaliating against Russia for interfering in the 2016 presidential campaign, two Trump transition officials confirm to NPR.
This is different timing than the Trump transition had announced to reporters Friday morning. Transition spokesman and incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said then that Kislyak texted Flynn on Dec. 28, asking to talk. Spicer also said the text messages showed they wished each other Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and added they spoke by phone later that day, the 28, meaning they couldn’t have discussed the retaliation measures or Russia’s response.
But now, the transition officials, including Spicer, confirm to NPR that was not correct. The phone conversation, initiated by the Russian ambassador, actually didn’t happen until the next day, Dec. 29, the same day as the retaliatory efforts were announced.