(CNN) Editor's note: This story originally published on July 24.

House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday attempted to downplay President Donald Trump's threat to revoke security clearances of former national security officials who have criticized him, brushing it off as just "trolling."

"I think he's trolling people honestly," the Wisconsin Republican said at his weekly news conference on Capitol Hill.

Ryan says the issue is something in the purview of the executive branch, not Congress.

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