Former General Alleges Top Republicans Plotted to Remove Trump in Early Days

Retired Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who once served as National Security Advisor under former President Donald Trump, has made bold claims about high-ranking Republican leaders allegedly conspiring to oust Trump during a critical moment in his 2016 campaign.

In a recent interview with conservative media personality Benny Johnson, Flynn accused former Vice President Mike Pence and former House Speaker Paul Ryan of preparing to step in and take control if Trump had withdrawn from the presidential race following the release of the controversial Access Hollywood tape in October 2016. The audio, which featured Trump making crude comments about women, sparked national outrage and prompted calls for him to abandon his campaign.

Flynn, a longtime figure in U.S. military intelligence and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Obama, described what he called behind-the-scenes discussions among Republican leaders who were ready to assume power should Trump bow out under pressure.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Flynn told Johnson during the interview. “Pence and Ryan were hoping Trump would walk away. At that time, there were internal talks between Ryan, Reince Priebus, and Pence. They were preparing for the possibility that Trump would step down.”

According to Flynn, those involved believed they were protecting the party—but were really part of what he called the “Uniparty,” a term used by some conservatives to describe establishment Republicans and Democrats who, in their view, operate to maintain power and suppress outsider influence.

Flynn’s remarks portrayed the Access Hollywood controversy not as an isolated crisis but as a potential turning point in a larger struggle between Trump’s “America First” movement and what he characterized as a long-term shift toward socialism, beginning under President Barack Obama.

Flynn argued that this ideological shift wasn’t accidental. “There was a push, going back to Obama’s presidency, to reshape the country,” he said. “Eight years of Obama followed by eight more of Hillary Clinton? The country would’ve been fundamentally transformed.”

The former general warned that many Americans still underestimate what he views as an ongoing internal battle over the nation’s direction. He referred to the current political moment as a “revolution,” claiming a Marxist ideology has quietly taken root in major institutions and that it now challenges American values and sovereignty.

“We’re in the middle of a transition,” Flynn said. “And Trump represents a return to American leadership that respects the will of the people and defends the Constitution.”

Flynn also stressed that the President of the United States holds unique powers not just as Commander in Chief but also as the nation’s top law enforcement authority—an assertion that deviates from the commonly accepted understanding that the U.S. Attorney General leads the Department of Justice.

“The President is not just a figurehead,” Flynn stated. “He is the chief law enforcement officer in the country. He has the final say when it comes to national emergencies and security issues. He holds the power of the pardon. That’s something no one else has at that level.”

Flynn said Trump, should he return to power, would be in a position to hold individuals accountable who, in Flynn’s view, acted against the will of the American people or undermined national security.

He called on the former president to take decisive action if re-elected. “He’s going to have to make hard choices,” Flynn said. “Enough is enough. The American people gave him a mandate—and with that comes authority and responsibility.”

While his comments will likely energize Trump’s base, they are also expected to intensify criticism from opponents who have accused Flynn of promoting conspiracy theories and destabilizing democratic norms. Critics have pointed out that Flynn himself pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation, though the charges were later dropped by the Justice Department under then-Attorney General William Barr.

Flynn’s allegations, which involve two of the most prominent Republican figures of the last decade, are sure to raise eyebrows across the political spectrum. Both Pence and Ryan have previously distanced themselves from Trump’s most controversial moments, but neither has publicly addressed Flynn’s claims at the time of writing.

As the 2026 election cycle gains momentum and former President Trump continues to play a central role in Republican politics, Flynn’s remarks may further deepen the rift between the party’s populist and establishment wings. Whether the allegations gain traction or fade from public discourse remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the battle over the future of the Republican Party—and perhaps the country—shows no sign of slowing down.