Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross brushed off a question about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn at Tuesday's White House press briefing, joking that he was not aware Flynn was a trade issue.
Ross appeared at the briefing to discuss the Trump administration's assessment of a 20 percent tariff on Canadian lumber imports. He said earlier on CNBC that the move showed President Donald Trump's seriousness about enforcing trade rules.
As the briefing went on, Ross took some questions that appeared outside of his purview. One reporter asked if the lumber issue might take Flynn's name "off the front pages."
Ross smiled before saying, "Is Michael Flynn now a trade issue? I wasn't aware that he was."
Flynn resigned as national security adviser in February after it was revealed that he discussed Russian sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak. He was back in the headlines on Tuesday when the White House declined to turn over documents to the House Oversight Committee regarding his hiring and eventual resignation.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer muttered, "Thank you, Mr. Secretary," after the awkward exchange, appearing to want Ross's questioning to end there, but Ross went on to take a few more questions from reporters.