McCain says Flynn's resignation raises questions about Trump's Russia policy

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said today that Michael Flynn's resignation as national security advisor “raises further questions” about the Trump administration's policy toward Russia.

“General Flynn’s resignation is a troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus,” McCain said in a statement.

McCain, who has criticized the Trump administration's attempts to reset relations with Russia, said the president must select a new national security advisor who “is empowered by clear lines of authority and responsibility and possesses the skills and experience necessary to organize the national security system across our government.”

McCain said Flynn's resignation, which comes amid a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump administration's relationship with Russian officials, “raises further questions about the Trump administration’s intentions toward Vladimir Putin’s Russia, including statements by the President suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections.”

McCain said he “especially” looks forward to working with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “to defend the nation and support our military service members.”

Mattis, who has spent the early days of the administration reassuring U.S. allies in person and by phone, is now on his way to a NATO conference in Brussels, Belgium.

McCain said he appreciated Flynn's many years of service, which included a stint as chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

“I wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” McCain said.