Washington: US President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan on Wednesday, accusing Brennan of using his access to classified information in order to "sow division and chaos" about the Trump administration.

Trump announced the decision in a statement from him read by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at her daily news briefing.

Trump said he was also reviewing the security clearances of several other former ranking government officials, all of whom have criticised Trump, including former US national intelligence director James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, former National Security Agency director Michael Hayden and former deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, among others.

All the officials in question have been frequent critics of Trump.