‘Manic’ Michael Flynn alarmed DOD official with demands to overturn election: new book

Michael Flynn spooked a Department of Defense official who'd once served under him with demands to intervene in Donald Trump's election loss.

The former national security adviser, who had just been pardoned by Trump after pleading guilty to lying to FBI agents in the Russia probe, called senior intelligence official Ezra Cohen, who had previously worked under Flynn at both the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and told him to return from a Middle East trip to help undo the election results, according to ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl's new book, "Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show."

"Where are you?" Flynn asked, according to Karl. "Flynn told him to cut his trip short and get back to the United States immediately because there were big things about to happen. 'We need you,' [he said,] and told the DoD official that 'there was going to be an epic showdown over the election results.'"

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Flynn urged Cohen to get orders signed to seize ballots and take "extraordinary measures ... to stop Democrats from stealing the election," according to Karl's reporting.

"As Flynn ranted about the election fight, [Cohen] felt his old boss sounded manic," Karl wrote. "He didn't sound like the same guy he had worked for."

Cohen then tried to talk Flynn down from the ledge.

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"Sir, the election is over," Cohen told Flynn, according to the book. "It's time to move on."

But Flynn wasn't satisfied.

"You're a quitter!" Flynn said, according to Karl. "This is not over! Don't be a quitter!"

Flynn continued ranting for a few more minutes before hanging up, and that was the last time the two men spoke.

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