Who to look for on Trump's VP short list: Mike Flynn

Credit: Chris Stewart

Credit: Chris Stewart

Donald Trump has said he will announce his choice for a running mate this week, in advance of the start of the Republican National Convention on Monday.

Here is a look at one of the four men most likely to join Trump as a vice presidential candidate – Mike Flynn.

Mike Flynn

Retired Lt. General, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency

Age: 57

Michael T. Flynn, a Rhode Island native and a Democrat, is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and chair of the Military Intelligence Board.

In August 2014, Flynn left his job at the Defense Intelligence Agency, allegedly after clashing with officials in the Obama White House.

Flynn is more to the left than others being considered for the job of Trump's running mate. When asked about same-sex marriage, Flynn said, "What people do in their private lives, these are not big issues that our country’s dealing with."

Flynn is the first non-politician known to be under consideration and would put national security at the forefront of the campaign. He’s at odds with many Republicans on abortion, saying women should be the ones to decide whether to have the procedure. He refined his answer a couple of days later saying he is pro-life.

What they are saying about Flynn

Flynn is a Democrat

Politico

“Two days after he remarked that "women have to be able to choose" on abortion, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a lifelong Democrat who is being vetted as Donald Trump's running mate, offered up his biography and respect for the rule of law as proof of his opposition to abortion. "I grew up as a Democrat in a very strong Democratic family. My mother was the president of the Right to Life Association in the state of Rhode Island," Flynn told Steve Doocy on Tuesday's "Fox & Friends." "Right to life," Flynn affirmed. "She was a Democrat, she worked for the Democratic Party in the state of Rhode Island at that time, which was a heavy Democratic state, still. But she was the president of the Right to Live committee there. And he ran for secretary of state of Rhode Island, and I love talking about my mother, because she's the most courageous person I've ever met in my life. So what I learned about everything, pretty much, I learned from her." ”

National security chops

CNN

“Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, already a top adviser on national security to Donald Trump, might soon find himself receiving a major promotion. The former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency has recently landed on the list of most talked about vice presidential possibilities. The presumptive GOP nominee is expected to make a decision this week before the Republican National Convention begins in Cleveland on Monday. Trump has said that he wants a D.C. political insider, but he may instead look to boost his national security credentials with Flynn.”

The Associated  Press contributed to this report.

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