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

Trendingnow

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026

1

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent

2

The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 

3

Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
MPWMost Powerful Women

Matt Lauer Grills Kellyanne Conway About the Timing of Michael Flynn’s Resignation

Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 14, 2017, 10:11 AM ET

Trump senior advisor Kellyanne Conway appeared on the Today Show on Tuesday morning after the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who is exiting the administration following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia.

During Conway’s segment, Today Show host Matt Lauer sought to nail down the timing of Flynn departure. His resignation late Monday came after—only hours earlier—Conway told MSNBC that President Donald Trump had “full confidence” in the embattled general. The chronology is also complicated by a Washington Post story published Monday night that says the White House knew as early as last month that Flynn might not have been 100% truthful in how he characterized a conversation with the Russian ambassador.

Lauer was hunting for answers, but Conway provided few. She provided few details as to why Flynn was kept in his role even after the Justice Department raised concerns that he had not told Pence the truth.

When asked if Trump would have kept Flynn on had the general not offered his resignation, Conway dodged the question, saying that “misleading the vice president” was what had become “unsustainable.”

Subscribe to The World’s Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s daily must-read for global businesswomen.

That prompted Lauer to cite the timeline laid out by the Post; that the Justice Department last month raised concerns about Flynn’s truthfulness, going as far as to say the general could be blackmailed by Russians.

Here’s a list of National Security Advisers from Eisenhower to Trump—and how long they all served.
[fortune-gallery id=”1934875″]

“That’s one characterization,” Conway said, “but the fact is, General Flynn continued in that position.” She said Flynn was still in high-level briefings and discussions as recently as yesterday, and repeated that “the situation” had become “unsustainable.”

“That makes no sense,” Lauer said. “That’s not true,” Conway replied.

Lauer asked if Flynn still had the trust of the president despite the Justice Department’s concerns.

“Matt, I’m telling you what the president has said,” Conway said, “which is that he’s accepted General Flynn’s resignation and he wishes him well and we’re moving on.”

Lauer also floated the idea that Flynn was speaking on behalf of the incoming administration when he made the call to the Russian ambassador, during which the general reportedly discussed the United States’ recent sanctions against the country. That suggestion, Conway said, “would be a mistake.”

In one of the most pointed exchanges of the interview, Lauer reiterated that the White House knew about that Flynn’s misleading of Pence last month. “And yet yesterday you went on the air and said that General Flynn had the complete and full confidence of the president,” he said.

Conway again cited Flynn’s decision to resign Monday night and Trump’s acceptance of it. “The president is very loyal…and at this stage he accepted the resignation and at this time he’s moving on.”

“But loyalty is one thing; keeping a guy in a position of national security advisor who has communicated with Russians and then misled the administration about the contents of that communication is entirely a different thing, wouldn’t you agree?” Lauer asked.

Conway then clarified that Flynn’s more recent failure to accurately recall his own remarks—along with his earlier mischaracterization to Pence—factored into his exit.

Flynn held the job of national security advisor for just 24 days. His short tenure, which follows a decorated career in public service, calls into question Trump’s judgement that Flynn was the right person for the job in the first place.

Conway said Flynn was “loyal” and “worked very hard.” And she downplayed the suggestion that based on his lengthy military career, Flynn should have known his call to the Russian ambassador would be wiretapped, reiterating that it was his misleading of Pence and his inability to recall what happened on the phone call that mattered most.

About the Author
Claire Zillman
By Claire ZillmanEditor, Leadership
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Claire Zillman is a senior editor at Fortune, overseeing leadership stories. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

dario
AIAnthropic
Anthropic confidentially files its S-1 first—but the IPO race with OpenAI is just beginning
By Allie GarfinkleJune 1, 2026
17 hours ago
ap
Arts & Entertainmentbooks
Ann Patchett opened a bookstore everyone said would fail. Now it’s a blueprint
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressJune 1, 2026
23 hours ago
ms
Arts & Entertainmentbaby boomers
Why the economy forces boomers to work longer, then vilifies them for it
By Lee Ann Rawlins Williams and The ConversationMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
z
North AmericaNew York City
Zohran Mamdani to skip Israel Day Parade, breaking with decades of tradition for NYC mayors
By Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated PressMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
soccer moms
CommentarySports
Why soccer moms are shaping the future of football in the U.S.
By Ruslan BashirovMay 31, 2026
2 days ago
As part of her Citi turnaround, Jane Fraser cut management layers from 13 to 8. But the ‘great flattening’ doesn’t always work as intended
C-SuiteManagement
As part of her Citi turnaround, Jane Fraser cut management layers from 13 to 8. But the ‘great flattening’ doesn’t always work as intended
By Claire ZillmanMay 30, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
Environment
Erin Brockovich, the activist who defeated a utility giant and inspired a Julia Roberts film, is pushing data centers to be more transparent
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 1, 2026
18 hours ago
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
Energy
The Iran conflict has disrupted oil supply. Gulf states are now looking to multi-billion-dollar investments in renewables 
By Melissa HancockJune 1, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
24 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, June 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 1, 2026
1 day ago
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
Law
After issuing more than $20 billion in tariff refunds, the Trump administration is now pursuing legal action to bring the process to a standstill
By Sasha RogelbergJune 1, 2026
19 hours ago
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
Conferences
Cognizant CEO is swimming against the tide on AI: he's hiring over 20,000 graduates this year and says AI tokenmaxxing is a 'vanity metric'
By Preston ForeJune 1, 2026
13 hours ago

© 2026 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.