Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

US should have coup like Myanmar, former Trump advisor Michael Flynn tells QAnon conference in Texas

The video circulating on Twitter shows the crowd cheering the suggestion of a coup in the US

Stuti Mishra
Monday 31 May 2021 09:13 BST
Comments
Michael Flynn, who was a former national security adviser to Donald Trump has emerged as a prominent QAnon figure
Michael Flynn, who was a former national security adviser to Donald Trump has emerged as a prominent QAnon figure (AFP/ Getty)
Leer en Español

Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser under the Donald Trump administration, has said that a Myanmar-like coup — in which the military overthrew a democratically elected government — “should happen” in the US.

Appearing in Dallas, Texas, at a QAnon conference, Mr Flynn was asked during a Q&A session by a member of the audience: “I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can’t happen here?”

The video circulating on Twitter shows the question receiving cheering from the crowd. In response, Mr Flynn said: “No reason. I mean, it should happen here.”

QAnon supporters are allegedly demanding in the US a repeat of a deadly coup by the army, which overthrew Myanmar’s democratically elected government on 1 February on the basis of unproven allegations of voter fraud.

The coup was met with resistance from people and mass protests have take place against it since then, in which at least 800 civilians, including at least 40 children, have been killed and thousands have been arrested, according to Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Mr Flynn, a former army general, has a tainted track record. He was fired by former president Donald Trump in 2017 after serving less than a month as his national security adviser, over allegations of lying to vice president Mike Pence about his communications with Russia. He pleaded guilty to the FBI during the Mueller investigation.

He was pardoned by Mr Trump last November before Justice Department could announce its verdict on dropping of the criminal case against him, as per his plea.

Mr Flynn has become a prominent figure in the QAnon conspiracy theory. Last year, he posted a video on Twitter reciting QAnon slogans, after which the social media platform banned him, along with a few others others in January during a mass disabling of accounts promoting QAnon conspiracy theories.

The photograph accompanying this article was changed on 1 June 2021. It originally featured an image of the wrong person.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in