• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechDonald Trump

Trump’s National Security Adviser Shared Fake News About Clinton

By
Mathew Ingram
Mathew Ingram
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mathew Ingram
Mathew Ingram
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 19, 2016, 1:12 AM ET
Senate Armed Services Committee
UNITED STATES - APRIL 18: Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, prepares to testify at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled "Current and Future Worldwide Threats," featuring testimony by he and James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)Photograph by Tom Williams CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

As Donald Trump puts together his cabinet, some of his picks are getting critical attention for past comments they made that suggest they hold racist or otherwise offensive views about various groups. One of those getting scrutiny is General Michael Flynn, Trump’s nominee for National Security Advisor.

Flynn is a former Lieutenant General who led the Defense Intelligence Agency for two years, from 2012 to 2014, before being forced out. A Pentagon official told the Washington Post at the time that his vision of the future of the DIA was “disruptive,” and others said his management style was “chaotic.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

On Twitter in particular, Flynn has not been shy about holding forth about Muslims, terrorism, and Hillary Clinton. And in several cases he has shared fake news stories about those subjects.

Just a few days before the election, the general tweeted a link to a news hoax from a right-wing conspiracy theory site called True Pundit, and said the New York Police Department had evidence of new Hillary Clinton emails that proved her involvement in or knowledge of money laundering and sex crimes with children, among other things.

https://twitter.com/GenFlynn/status/794000841518776320

Flynn also retweeted a conspiracy theory that the United Nations Agenda 21 program, which is designed to create sustainable development in emerging nations, would actually put in place a global church in which Christianity would be forbidden and would “undermine America’s sovereignty.”

Earlier this year, the general also linked to a tweet that had a photo of Hillary Clinton wearing a head scarf and claimed that this showed “solidarity with Islamic terrorists.” In fact, she was wearing it out respect during a visit to a mosque in Pakistan in 2009 as Secretary of State. Flynn said Clinton was “showing disrespect for American Values and Principles.”

This is not showing respect. This is showing disrespect for American Values and Principles. #NeverHillaryhttps://t.co/WrQ9ZqL8QI

— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) July 15, 2016

Flynn has also made a number of comments about Muslims that have led some to question whether he is fit to become National Security Adviser. In one tweet following a terrorist attack in France, he said that Arab and Persian world leaders needed to “declare their Islamic ideology sick” and to admit that it “must be healed” within the next 24 hours.

The general also posted a comment earlier this year in which he said that it was “rational to fear Muslims” and asked his followers to forward a video that claimed Islamophobia is rational and that Islam wants 80% of the world to be enslaved or killed. “The truth fears no questions,” Flynn said.

Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL: please forward this to others: the truth fears no questions… https://t.co/NLIfKFD9lU

— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 27, 2016

On another occasion, Flynn retweeted a right-wing, anti-Semitic commentator, Jared Wyland, who shared a video clip that he claimed was of an ex-Muslim telling President Obama about how ISIS is “practicing Islam to the letter.” Flynn said in his retweet: “Brother Rashid is worth listening to. Most powerful message I’ve heard in a long time.”

Brother Rashid is worth listening to for 8:47. Most powerful message I've heard in a long time. @FieldofFighthttps://t.co/GE9nVmFJNC

— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) August 11, 2016

About the Author
By Mathew Ingram
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

robots
InnovationRobots
‘The question is really just how long it will take’: Over 2,000 gather at Humanoids Summit to meet the robots who may take their jobs someday
By Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressDecember 12, 2025
33 minutes ago
Man about to go into police vehicle
CryptoCryptocurrency
Judge tells notorious crypto scammer ‘you have been bitten by the crypto bug’ in handing down 15 year sentence 
By Carlos GarciaDecember 12, 2025
1 hour ago
three men in suits, one gesturing
AIBrainstorm AI
The fastest athletes in the world can botch a baton pass if trust isn’t there—and the same is true of AI, Blackbaud exec says
By Amanda GerutDecember 12, 2025
2 hours ago
Brainstorm AI panel
AIBrainstorm AI
Creative workers won’t be replaced by AI—but their roles will change to become ‘directors’ managing AI agents, executives say
By Beatrice NolanDecember 12, 2025
2 hours ago
Fei-Fei Li, the "Godmother of AI," says she values AI skills more than college degrees when hiring software engineers for her tech startup.
AITech
‘Godmother of AI’ says degrees are less important in hiring than ‘how quickly can you superpower yourself’ with new tools
By Nino PaoliDecember 12, 2025
4 hours ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsDecember 12, 2025
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
At 18, doctors gave him three hours to live. He played video games from his hospital bed—and now, he’s built a $10 million-a-year video game studio
By Preston ForeDecember 10, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
10 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Palantir cofounder calls elite college undergrads a ‘loser generation’ as data reveals rise in students seeking support for disabilities, like ADHD
By Preston ForeDecember 11, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Baby boomers have now 'gobbled up' nearly one-third of America's wealth share, and they're leaving Gen Z and millennials behind
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 8, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Arts & Entertainment
'We're not just going to want to be fed AI slop for 16 hours a day': Analyst sees Disney/OpenAI deal as a dividing line in entertainment history
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 11, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘We have not seen this rosy picture’: ADP’s chief economist warns the real economy is pretty different from Wall Street’s bullish outlook
By Eleanor PringleDecember 11, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.