EXCLUSIVE: Michael Flynn breaks with Trump, opposing Trump’s preferred picks for races
Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn has recently backed multiple Republican candidates running against contenders supported by President Donald Trump, creating a notable split between two figures long associated with the MAGA movement.
Flynn has used social media in recent months to promote candidates challenging Republicans aligned with Trump in several high-profile GOP contests.
In South Carolina, Flynn has endorsed Greenville businessman Mark Lynch, who is mounting a primary challenge against Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) ahead of the June 9 GOP primary. Graham is one of Trump’s closest Senate allies — Trump endorsed him in March, and Trump’s former co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita joined the Graham campaign as a senior adviser.
Flynn has also amplified criticism of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.), aligning himself with activist pressure from Turning Point Action and other MAGA voices pushing for new Senate leadership over the stalled SAVE America Act. Trump has not moved against Thune publicly, and Thune is not on the ballot until 2028 — but Flynn’s posts add a high-profile voice to the chorus calling for his replacement.
The endorsements have surprised some Republican operatives because Flynn was once viewed as one of Trump’s closest political allies. Flynn served briefly as Trump’s national security adviser before resigning early in Trump’s first term. He later became a prominent figure in conservative politics and MAGA activism.
Flynn has also been the subject of recent reporting on Flynn-linked business activity in the Balkans.
The split also surfaced in Arkansas, where Flynn endorsed Bryan Norris in the GOP runoff for Secretary of State. Norris ran against Sen. Kim Hammer, who carried the endorsements of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and most of the Arkansas Republican establishment. Hammer narrowly defeated Norris on March 31, winning by fewer than 1,000 votes after an outside group tied to a Sanders adviser spent more than $300,000 against Norris.
Trump’s endorsements remain among the most influential forces in Republican politics, and Flynn’s candidates have so far underperformed his promotion of them. But the willingness of Flynn consistently line up against the president’s picks — even in losing efforts — points to widening fissures going into the midterms.
