0 1 6 , ▁President ▁Ob ama ▁war ned ▁President - elect ▁Trump ▁against ▁h iring ▁F lyn n . ▁During ▁their ▁meeting ▁in ▁the ▁O val ▁Office ▁two ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁election , ▁Ob ama ▁expressed ▁" pro found ▁concerns " ▁about ▁h iring ▁F lyn n ▁to ▁a ▁sensitive , ▁high - level ▁national ▁security ▁post . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Trump ▁twe et ed , ▁" It ▁now ▁seems ▁the ▁General ▁F lyn n ▁was ▁under ▁investigation ▁long ▁before ▁was ▁common ▁knowledge . ▁It ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁impossible ▁for ▁me ▁to ▁know ▁this ▁but , ▁if ▁that ▁was ▁the ▁case , ▁and ▁with ▁me ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁two ▁people ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁president , ▁why ▁was ▁I ▁not ▁told ▁so ▁that ▁I ▁could ▁make ▁a ▁change ?" ▁Short ly ▁after ▁Trump ' s ▁election , ▁F lyn n ▁himself ▁had ▁ad vised ▁transition ▁team ▁coun sel ▁Don ▁McG ahn ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁under ▁federal ▁investigation ▁for ▁secret ▁lo bb ying ▁work ▁he ▁had ▁done ▁for ▁Turkey ▁during ▁the ▁campaign , ▁and ▁Trump ▁ad visor ▁Chris ▁Christ ie ▁directly ▁ad vised ▁Trump ▁against ▁h iring ▁F lyn n , ▁as ▁did ▁President ▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ▁two ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁election . ▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁F lyn n ▁accepted ▁Trump ' s ▁offer ▁for ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁National ▁Security ▁Ad visor . ▁Prior ▁to ▁his ▁appointment , ▁media ▁sources ▁including ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁and ▁Associ ated ▁Press