'We still don't know why Trump told Flynn to lie about sanctions' and 'cover up the channel to Russia': Ex-CIA chief of staff

Former CIA chief of staff Jeremy Bash appeared on MSNBC Thursday to discuss the recent report that Attorney General Bill Barr helped let Michael Flynn off after pleading guilty for lying to the FBI. One thing he said is still being lost is why Flynn lied to begin with.

"In Bill Barr, the president's found his easy mark and Barr folds very easily," said Bash. "And we've known that for a long time -- that's probably why he got the job because he committed to do that when he signed up for this. But moreover, what you've seen is the president increasingly tightening the pressure, insisting that the coverup of Flynn's conversations with Russia -- and that's what this was, a coverup, lies to cover up Flynn's conversations with Russia that that was fine with Trump. To go back to the initial point, we've never yet been told not just what the lies were or the conditions of the lie but why. Why did Mike Flynn feel a need to mislead the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of investigation? What was he covering up that Donald Trump told him to do?"

He went on to say that it was clear from the early days of the scandal that Trump told Flynn to tell the Russians that they would be relaxing sanctions as soon as they get into office.

"Nobody to this day understands why Donald Trump felt compelled to make that promise to Vladimir Putin," he said. "I think it's clear that he lied to the vice president and he lied to the FBI. it's true, campaigns can talk to foreign governments, transition teams can talk to foreign governments. It's even fine to say privately or publicly, 'Hey, we're changing course on American foreign policy.' In fact, Trump might argue that's why he was elected. That's all legitimate and above board, but for some reason, Trump directed Flynn to cover it up and we don't yet know why Trump and Flynn wanted to cover up this channel to Russia."

Watch the discussion below: