Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn has sparked backlash for appearing to call for a Myanmar-style coup in the United States.
Flynn made the comments on Sunday at a conference in Texas for QAnon conspiracy theory supporters, which was called the For God & Country Patriot Roundup.
Flynn only served as Trump's national security adviser for 24 days. In December 2017 he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI but was pardoned by Trump before the former President left office.
During a Q and A session at the conference, Flynn was asked: "I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can't happen here?"
He replied: "No reason. I mean, it should happen here".
Myanmar has been in turmoil since its military overthrew its Government and detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1.
The coup sparked large protests across the south-east Asian country and in the months since, security forces have killed hundreds of protesters and detained thousands more.
Many people took Flynn's comments as an endorsement for the military to overthrow Joe Biden's US Government so Trump could be reinstated as President.
"No American should advocate or support the violent overthrow of the United States," Republican Liz Cheney tweeted.
Political commentator Edward Hardy called for Flynn to be "stripped of his military rank and awards for the "dangerous and anti-democratic remarks".
Democratic congressman Jim Himes agreed.
"Idly calling for a military coup may be 1A protected, but is profoundly unbecoming a retired flag officer. Flynn should be stripped of rank and pension."
Flynn has previously expressed the idea of deploying the US military to "rerun" the 2020 election after Trump's loss.
"Within the swing states if he wanted to he could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states and basically rerun an election in each of those states," he told Newsmax.
