Retired Gen. Flynn Urges Trump to Apply After-Action Review to 2024 Election Shortfalls

Flynn's letter applies the four-question AAR framework directly to the second Trump term: what was promised on affordability and non-entanglement, what metrics were delivered by February 2025, where gaps remain, and which personnel decisions produced them. Primary records show the administration reported a 1.9 percent decline in average grocery prices through January while Customs and Border Protection data recorded 1.4 million encounters in the same period. No public document yet reconciles these figures with the pledge of immediate reversal. Competing incentives inside the administration favor continued emphasis on executive orders over internal audit. Staff who flag persistent inflation or Iran-related costs risk reduced access; those who align with narrative continuity retain influence. Flynn's text notes this dynamic without naming individuals, citing Irving Janis groupthink patterns observed in prior national security councils. The administration has scheduled no formal AAR session. Treasury and DHS weekly reports through mid-February continue to omit side-by-side comparison of pre- and post-inauguration outcome data. Absent such a ledger, external actors including congressional oversight committees lack the baseline required to assess whether incentives have shifted from loyalty preservation to measurable correction.